May 23rd, 2015
Irish eyes were already smiling this morning before the official referendum count began with reports of heavy turnout in Dublin and comparatively light turnout in the rural areas. This news, many observers felt, would bode very well for the marriage equality referendum. The official hand-count began at 9:00 local time, and by 9:14 there were already strong results from Dublin North with marriage equality being approved with a 65% to 70% yes vote. As other constituencies began reporting similar margins, the yes count had already gathered into an obvious landslide by 9:30, with even a number of rural constituencies throwing their weight onto the yes side’s lead. The “no” side tweeted their concession to the yes campaign at 10:00.Ballot counting is continuing, so the final count hasn’t been released yet. But when all is said and done, Irish voters will have approved marriage equality with an astounding 2:1 margin:
Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has predicted that the referendum will carry in Dublin with a 70-30 Yes majority.
He said he thought other cities in Ireland, including Limerick, Galway and Waterford, would be close at 60-40
He said he believed even in rural conservative constituencies we were seeing 50-50 and that some might be a slight majority for No and others would be a slight majority for Yes.
Minister Coveney said right across the country there is a big endorsement of a new attitude towards a minority that had been discriminated against for far too long.
This makes Ireland the first country in the world to enshrine marriage equality through a popular vote. Here’s a likely timeframe going forward, from an Irish Times reporter:
My read on timetable: Marriage Act will pass in July, law into force Aug/Sep, then 3-month notice period. So first marriages by Christmas
— Ruadhán Mac Cormaic (@RuadhanIT) May 23, 2015
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Rob
May 23rd, 2015
Congratulations Ireland! And welcome to the fold (I’m from Canada)
Ben in oakland
May 23rd, 2015
I am so excited and elated by this! And I’m not even Irish! The only thing that makes me sad is that our rights were once again put up to a popular vote, and once again the biggest turned out in force, claiming all sorts of calamities and nonissues.
On the other hand, and this makes me very happy indeed, the Catholic Church took a shellacking. They tried their usual tactics, and they failed miserably.
So, yahoo! Or Eire go Bragh, or whatever it is.
Ben in oakland
May 23rd, 2015
Sorry, bigots, not biggest. Or maybe, just biggest bigots. Damned iPad autocorrect.
Eric Payne
May 23rd, 2015
Hmmm… think how foolish SCOTUS might look at the end of next month.
tristram
May 23rd, 2015
2 to 1 not likely, but even 60-40 would be fantastic. This is a great victory for decency and love.
Eric M
May 23rd, 2015
Ben- for all of that work, the bigots were only able to capture one constituency in 43. (Although three still need to report results as I write this. )
Paul Douglas
May 23rd, 2015
Thrilled to see such a rejection of the catholick hierarchy! Love to see the angst of the über conservative romanists and their apologists.
Brings joy to my heart.
Hope Scalia, Alito, Roberts and Uncle Thomas are thrilled as well!
Mark F.
May 23rd, 2015
@Ben The change in the Irish Constitution required a popular vote, there was no way around that.
Ben in oakland
May 24th, 2015
I understand that, Mark. still not happy about it.
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