Ireland votes on Gay Marriage

[Ignitionnet]

Official results will come in here.

Thank you Ireland for a referendum that actually matters. We only get asked about cynical political compromises most of the time

Originally Posted by martyh

Not yet it's not ,results are not expected until later on today and we all know about the accuracy of prediction polls don't we

These aren't the polls but the actual counts. Even areas expected to be heavy No's are coming in 50-50 and other areas are coming in very strongly Yes. The groups backing No have conceded.

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Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Thank you Ireland for a referendum that actually matters. We only get asked about cynical political compromises most of the time

There was a good point in The Guardian yesterday asking if the rights of a minority should be approved via the majority in a referendum. I thought it was a good point. The reason Ireland needed to do this is because it required a constitutional change which has to be approved via a referendum.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Damien

There was a good point in The Guardian yesterday asking if the rights of a minority should be approved via the majority in a referendum. I thought it was a good point. The reason Ireland needed to do this is because it required a constitutional change which has to be approved via a referendum.

Good advertisement for us having a codified constitution so that the government of the day can't just change it on a whim. *Cough* Lisbon *cough*.

This is definitely historic though. This is a country where homosexuality was illegal until 22 years ago and has made a bunch of progress.

I suspect there'll be a lot of LGBT Irish painting the town rainbow colours tonight.

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by Damien

There was a good point in The Guardian yesterday asking if the rights of a minority should be approved via the majority in a referendum. I thought it was a good point. The reason Ireland needed to do this is because it required a constitutional change which has to be approved via a referendum.

It does though beg why the rights of the minority should be prevented by the majority if it doesn't effect the majority.

You're talking about a country that only decriminalised homosexuality about 22 years ago

[Ignitionnet]

Full and Final Tally in Dublin West Yes 29665 (71pc) No 12229 (29%) Turnout 64%

'No' campaign have conceded. It's not about whether 'yes' wins but by how much, and it looks quite overwhelming.

A couple of pictures:

From an electrical store in Andersontown and Donegall:



This was found in a ballot box in Dublin South-West:

Well that's electoral fraud! Vote invalid!

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Damien

Well that's electoral fraud! Vote invalid!

Sir Eric Pickles will be going across the Irish Sea to lend his corruption-busting support. So if Ireland sinks you know who to blame.

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Tally complete in Wicklow - 42,497 (68.05%) #YesVote, turnout 68.06%.

Laois-Offaly: 18 boxes left, @FineGael tally delivered 57% #YesVote - verdict @3pm, two Tullamore boxes 60% and 61% Yes

Wexford: 78% boxes tallied, #YesVote 23,638 to 13,359 #NoVote, Gorey 73% Yes, Enniscorty 70%, New Ross 66%, some areas reaching 74%

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Final tally for Dublin North Central comes in just under 70% Yes.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by Damien

It's already legal in the UK.

Except for Northern Ireland...

[Ignitionnet]

The people have spoken.

Gay marriage, aka, 'marriage', to be legal in Ireland

Well done them. Not bad for a country that identifies itself so strongly as Catholic.

[Sirius]

Excellent news.

Very good news.

USA next, hopefully.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Sirius

Excellent news.

+1

So true...

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Very good news.

USA next, hopefully.

I reckon there are enough right wing "family value" types over there to make it unlikely to be so straight forward.

However Ireland and the Irish are popular over there and appear to have some kind of influence so who knows.

As long as establishments are permitted to choose who can marry on their premises this is a positive thing.

[TheDaddy]

Wonder if the UK will ever achieve full equality, might ask the girlfriend if she fancies a civil partnership if we ever do, who knows we might already have it but no one kicked up a fuss about it in the press or had a party