Pdoggg Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Irish voters turned out in droves to cast ballots in a gay marriage referendum on Friday, with the high turnout likely to favour the Yes side seeking equality just two decades after the country decriminalised homosexuality. With the once mighty Catholic Church's influence ravaged by child abuse scandals, opinion polls indicated the proposal would pass by as much as two-to-one, making Ireland the first country to adopt same-sex marriage via a popular vote. Irish national broadcaster RTE said it appeared to have been one of the highest ever turnouts for a referendum in the country, with turnout likely to reach 60 percent in Dublin. Only 39 percent voted nationally in an unsuccessful bid to abolish the upper house of parliament in 2013. "It's looking as if there's a strong vote in urban areas, which would be more beneficial to the Yes side," said Mattie McGrath, one of just two of Ireland's 166 members of parliament who campaigned for a No vote. "It's all to play for tomorrow, but the Yes vote might shade it," he said. There was no national exit poll and the first indications of the result were expected mid-morning on Saturday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/uk-ireland-gaymarriage-idUKKBN0O717T20150522 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumblebee Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It certainly looks like the Yes will carry the day with midday approaching. Now it's just a matter or getting the final total in later in the day. We were in Dublin yesterday and there was an almost carnival atmosphere around the streets with Yes stickers and posters to be seen everywhere. It felt more like a social movement with people flying home from Australia, Asia and North America as well as Europe to vote Yes. A tidal wave of support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat72m Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Looking like yes by 2:1 Hard to believe only 2 decades ago it was illegal to be gay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxpharm Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Fantastic news and if a formerly conservative Catholic country like Ireland can accept same sex marriage, the US conservatives should finally see the light instead of telling the Pope to stay out of politics! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaiDee Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Wow, this is great news! And was the first thing my news feed was telling me this morning, probably because my news feed is filled with Liberal websites who all support LGBT rights! I was super-happy for my Irish friends I have met over the years, and for all Irish people; this is a great day for love and unity. Hopefully this will send a message to every other country on earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williethepimp Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Another nail in the coffin ouf the Catholic Church,who,IMO,held the country back for centuries.....I wonder how many people who voted YES did so because of their animosity toward the Church....? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaiDee Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Another nail in the coffin ouf the Catholic Church,who,IMO,held the country back for centuries.....I wonder how many people who voted YES did so because of their animosity toward the Church....? Oh, there's no question about that.....not to mention the burden of guilt and shame which had to be carried around by millions of people because of those ASSHOLE catholic scumbags. I would hope the yes vote was indeed a very strong rejection of their worthless dogma. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumblebee Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Hopefully the days of this type of attitude have gone for good. Sorry there are no subtitles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimslim Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Another nail in the coffin ouf the Catholic Church,who,IMO,held the country back for centuries.....I wonder how many people who voted YES did so because of their animosity toward the Church....? Great news indeed for both the advancement of equality and a further blow to church influence in state affairs . The great Irish socialist James Connolly foreseen the dangers of Ireland partitioned over a hundred years ago when he predicted we would have two states both reactionary and church controlled - " A carnival of reaction " was his term and a carnival of reaction is what we got . A southern state controlled by the superstitions and reactions of the Catholic Church and an equally repressive northern state run by Protestant bigots . Thankfully the times they are a changing as new generations shake off the superstitious shit that has held them back for centuries . How ironic that the south is now further advanced than the north , recently the Protestant led majority overruled the progressives on a vote on gay marriage in the N I Assembly . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke007 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 So no chance of yourself and ciobha getting hitched anytime soon then Jim? And just to avoid confusion, I dont mean to each other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat72m Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Hopefully the days of this type of attitude have gone for good. Sorry there are no subtitles. https://youtu.be/JrMukwjJTfA Brilliant. Haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke007 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Irish gay marriage brings Armagayddon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke007 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Question Time - Gay Marriage Debate - Northern Ireland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke007 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Sorry there are no subtitles. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kahuna Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Kudos to the Irish............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixon cox Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Well done to the Irish! Fuck Yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat72m Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 http://www.livingincebuforums.com/ipb/topic/83286-ireland-for-homosexual-marriage/ Some alternative views on another forum I'm on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanbeag7 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Proud to be a Irish gobshite today ( can't upload pic) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strocube Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Congratulations to Ireland and all the Irish. This is pretty major, and will hopefully be a good example to other countries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiamSam Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Monumental!!! Over 61% voted YES!!! Small country with a BIG message to the rest of us. I am so so so happy with the results. It was the first item on my national news tonight in Canada and it watered my old dry eyeballs. Bravo IRELAND!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenW Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Ireland leads the sane world into the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixon cox Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 A gay man now. What a Godsend. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumblebee Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 It certainly drew international attention with observers coming from far and wide. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumblebee Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 There was a live broadcast from the courtyard of Dublin Castle as people watching the results come in from around the country. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciobha Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 BTW, for those of you unaware, the Bert and Ernie picture above also has a direct relevance to Ireland in the past week. Just last Tuesday, a Belfast court upheld a discrimination case for a gay couple, when Ashers Bakery in Belfast, refused to complete the baking of a cake for a civil partnership of a gay couple. The icing of said cake had a picture of Bert and Ernie on it, with the words "Support Gay Marriage" written across the top. Despite entering into a contract with the couple,by taking a deposit, Ashers decided to not complete the cake, spiting that it was against their religious beliefs, etc etc. The Judge ruled that a business was not outside the rules of discriminatory law, despite their religious beliefs, and were therefore in breach of contract. The bakery was ordered to pay damages and costs, but despite this, they are now adamant that this case should go to the European Court of Human Rights, as they are the people being discriminated against, in their view. Of course the local bible thumpers from the DUP are now up in arms, predicting the apocalypse and such like, now those evil, devil worshipping gay people have got civil rights!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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