Monnine Griffith left and Clodagh Robinson celebrate after early results suggest an overwhelming majority in favor of the referendum on same sex marriage.(Photo Aidan Crawley European Pressphoto Agency)
DUBLIN Ireland became the first country Saturday to legalize same sex marriage by national referendum a vote that has highlighted the dramatic pace at which this traditionally conservative Catholic nation has changed in recent times.
Just 22 years after decriminalizing homosexuality 62.1% of voters approved the measure according to official results by Ireland's referendum commission. National turnout in Friday's poll was 60.5% of 3.2 million eligible voters.
We're the first country in the world to enshrine marriage equality in our constitution and do so by popular mandate Leo Varadkar Ireland's health minister told state broadcaster RTE before results came in. That makes us a beacon a light to the rest of the world of liberty and equality. It's a very proud day to be Irish he said.
David Quinn the director of the conservative Iona Institute a leading figure behind the No campaign tweeted Congratulations to the 'Yes' side. Well done. MarRef. Quinn said Friday that the movement to secure equal marriage rights for same sex couples in Ireland appeared to be insurmountable.
Last SlideNext SlideEmily Neenan a physics student at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies was holding a large rainbow colored umbrella in the forecourt at Dublin Castle where Yes supporters gathered to celebrate outside the Irish government complex.
I am absolutely thrilled and I didn't think it would pass with such a resounding yes she said. Even in more traditional rural areas it looks like we have done a lot better than we thought we would.
As Neenan spoke on an unseasonably warm and sunny day in Ireland an occasional cheer rose up from the crowd as Irish politicians who spearheaded the Yes campaign passed close by on their way to be interviewed by Ireland's domestic broadcasters.
You know it's about time Ireland did this she said. It's time Irish society better understands what it looks like and needs.
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Campaigners on both sides said the high turnout buoyed by strong engagement from younger members of the electorate as well as the many Irish expatriates who returned home to cast their votes contributed to the Yes result.
On the ballot voters chose whether they were in favor of amending Ireland's constitution to say that Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.
For months polls indicated the majority of Irish voters agreed with that sentiment. But in the days leading up to the vote Ireland's government which supports the measure warned that attitudes may have been hardening and that victory wasn't certain.
The referendum is seen as an especially complex one for Ireland where about 85% of the population still identify as Roman Catholic even though church attendance has been steadily declining for a few decades. The church's moral authority has been questioned in the wake of a series of sexual abuse scandals and coverups involving children.
The country has been slow to follow a path of social liberalization that has taken root across Europe. Except in cases where a mother's life is perceived to be in danger abortion is still illegal in Ireland. A prohibition on divorce was repealed only in 1996 following a national referendum.
Dublin's myriad storied pubs were fuller than usual and the reverie spilled out onto streets all across the capital. Many were carrying balloons flags and other accessories highlighting an issue that for some in that gay and lesbian community seemed almost too good to be true.
It's an incredible day that even two years ago we could not have dared to imagine said Panti Bliss a well known Irish transvestite who appeared at a rally at Dublin Castle.
I think (outsiders) are still hung up on the idea that Ireland is some sort of very conservative country ruled by the Catholic Church Panti whose real name is Rory O'Neill told journalists.
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Around the world 18 countries have approved gay marriage nationwide the majority of them in Europe. Others such as the United States and Mexico have approved it in certain regions. In the United States 37 states have approved gay marriage and the Supreme Court is currently weighing the issue.
This is a joyous day for Ireland and for LGBT people and our allies everywhere Sarah Kate Ellis president and CEO of GLAAD a U.S. based gay advocacy group said in a statement. We are thankful for the leadership of the Irish people and we hope that many countries including the United States follow suit by extending marriage to all their citizens.
Visitors to St. Patrick's Cathedral founded in 1191 to honor Ireland's patron saint in central Dublin on Saturday afternoon appeared mostly wrapped up in their appreciation of the building's impressive stonewall facades.
It is good that Ireland is approving this legislation said Michael Lendhofer a tourist visiting from Hanover in northwestern Germany.
But I also think that there are some things about the gay community that I don't agree with. For example I think they should be more private he said without elaborating.
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