IRELAND HAS BECOME the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote.
The main points:
Here’s how it happened:
Welcome to Part II of our liveblogging of today’s historic results in the same-sex marriage referendum.
It’s Sinead O’Carroll here. If you want to join the chat, send me a picture or any bits of information – you can get me on sinead@thejournal.ie or @sineadocarroll on Twitter.
With just one official result in, there is still a lot of reporting to do today. Here we’ll bring you those results, your reaction, analysis from our political editor Hugh O’Connell in Dublin Castle, news from the Carlow/Kilkenny by-election and craic from the George with Vincent Browne, Bosco and myself.
Colm Mulryan, an Irishman in Australia, sent us these snaps taken at a Eurovision Equality party at the Gaelic Club in Sydney last night.
Our roving reporter Daragh Brophy was out at Dublin Castle this afternoon, chatting to those ready to celebrate.
He met Dee Carney who told him:
What we always need to do is to talk. Families sitting around tables talking about uncles and aunts who were in the closet and never ever came out – and went to their grave. They’re being discussed.
“They’re alive again in households. They’re alive in families – the departed generation.”
Read more about the atmosphere at Dublin Castle here.
We have a proposal…
RTÉ’s Eoghan McDermott stepped into the spotlight last night with this tweet.
Today, he backtracked a little, saying his outburst was down to a “heightened emotional state”.
We still only have one official result in – and that’s Dublin North West.
Yes: 70.36%
No: 29.64%
If you want to keep an eye on your own constituency, we’ll be keeping this post updated as soon as the results come in.
A very happy-looking Justice Minister at Dublin Castle.
David Norris, wearing two Yes badges, tells Dublin Castle crowd that he is feeling jubilant.
Punching the air, he says the Irish people have said that they are for equality and liberty.
Scenes.
Meanwhile, Roscommon looks like it could be the only constituency to vote No in this referendum.
The county’s most famous man, Chris O’Dowd, is disappointed.
And more from Roscommon.
Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan says, “Somebody took the time to put a miraculous medal inside their ballot paper here in Roscommon.”
And here’s the proof:
Back to our roving reporter – Daragh Brophy – who is with Panti who is surrounded by well-wishers who want selfies.
WE’VE HAD A LIVE TV PROPOSAL.
Senator Katherine Zappone has asked her partner Ann-Louise Gilligan to marry her.
Which of these is the more adorable older gentleman right now?
David Norris or…
Eamon Gilmore?
And another result in from Waterford.
YES: 60.33%
NO: 39.67%
Turnout: 59.37%
Apparently, there has been a double booking at the Mayo count centre, so they will have to move rooms. Celebrations were strong there this morning.
TheJournal.ie’s Daragh Brophy was out on the beat with Panti this sunny afternoon.
Indications from Carlow-Kilkenny that Fianna Fáil’s Bobby Aylward is going to take the seat. We haven’t go the first count yet but the tallies point towards victory for Micheál Martin’s party in the battle to fill Phil Hogan’s Dáil old seat. Here’s more.
Another result in, this time for Wicklow.
YES: 68.37%
NO: 31.63%
Turnout: 68.77%
Follow how YOUR constituency voted here.
Okay, so far the results in so far as follows:
Wicklow Yes 68.4% No 31.6%
Waterford Yes 60.33% No 39.67%
Sligo-North Leitrim 53.57% No 46.43%
Meath West Yes 60.1% No 39.9%
Dublin North West: Yes 70.4% No 29.6%
Cork South Central Yes 68.37% No 31.63%
Panti has made it over to Dublin Castle for the celebrations. Gerry Adams said it’s a great day for Ireland and it’s now time to get same-sex marriage up the North.
Christina Finn here on the liveblog. If you want to join the conversation you can email me at christinafinn@thejournal.ie or tweet @christinafinn8
Flowers have been left on a bench in Fairview Park to remember Declan Flynn, the 31-year-old gay man, who was murdered by a gang of four in 1982.
His death sparked one of Dublin’s first gay rights marches in the 1980s and paved the way for the Dublin Pride Parade, which is held in the capital every year.
You can read more about this here.
“Today we are free. Yes, yes, yes.”
Senator Katherine Zappone asked her partner Ann Louise Gilligan to marry her live on RTÉ earlier. Here she got to do it in person in front of hundreds of people.
By the way – Vincent Browne has started his broadcast, from The George.
No follow-up proposal here.
So, the constituency counts are coming in fast now.
Check out the results from Donegal North-East, it was neck and neck. Find out other constituency results here.
Roscommon South-Leitrim is the first constituency to vote NO.
YES: 48.6%
NO: 51.4%
Celebrations have kicked off in The George. Vincent Browne just congratulated Jerry Buttimer for having the courage to come out all those years ago. He congratulated him on today’s result.
Minister Alan Kelly just told RTÉ a touching story about a gay friend of his who died in 2009.
He said he gave him the tie he is wearing today and told him to wear it on a special occasion.
“I can’t think of a more special occasion than this,” said Kelly.
TheJournal.ie joined Panti on a triumphant walk through Dublin city centre. Read more here.
Boos rang out at Dublin Castle as the first NO result from Roscommon South-Leitrim was revealed.
Unfortunately, it was just as Colm O’Gorman was saying he loved his partner live over the airwaves.
Bad timing.
Here’s how it sounded in the crowd.
Social media wot won it?
We’ve just been speaking to Micheál Martin here at Dublin Castle and the Fianna Fáil leader thinks that the activity on the likes of Twitter and Facebook was crucial to the Yes side’s victory:
I thought it was a brilliant social media campaign and there are lessons for the future in that. It’s probably, I think, the first major campaign that had such a significant social media context or content and in a way that was influential and effective.
- Hugh O’Connell @ Dublin Castle
Meanwhile, the entertainment has kicked off in The George.
Hi – Daragh Brophy taking over liveblog duties from Christina, on what’s been a frankly NUTS day in the capital.
Stay with us for all the latest results, as we close in on an official announcement from a packed Dublin Castle.
Earlier on – I took a rather odd walk from Capel St to the Castle in the company of Panti…
Check out the video:
By the way – people are loving Vincent Browne’s show from The George on TV3, where Mary Lou McDonald (for once) has been struggling to make herself heard above the crowd just now…
Who-ever thought of this in TV3 deserves a pay-rise.
Una Mullally of the Irish Times (and prominent Yes campaigner) joining Miriam on walk-about in Dublin Castle, talking to people in the crowd.
She filed this for the Times earlier:
Chants of “Vinnie, Vinne” as Vincent Browne returns from an ad break on TV3. Micheál Martin’s in for a quick chat…
A mad affair. Mad.
Here’s what some of the most prominent No campaigners have been saying on Twitter today…
A fantastic photo from the Daily Mail’s political correspondent (that’s our own Hugh O’Connell in the background).
The Twitter trends for Ireland right now…
Bosco now joining Glenda Gilsen on the Vincent Browne show at the George.
“Is this your first time here?” says Glenda.
NUTS.
A quick look at the national picture (full details here).
That red space is Roscommon/South Leitrim, by the way:
Ten minutes to the big announcement, by the way.
Although…
Panti Bar will be party central tonight.
By the way – don’t forget it’s the Eurovision tonight.
It was, apparently, Vincent’s own idea to broadcast from The George.
Tuesday nights in the company of Fine Gael backbench TDs and AAA activists are going to look very dull from this day on.
Some international front-pages…
Some breaking reaction from Andrew WK.*
*Probably the only time in my life I’ll have the chance to type THAT particular sentence.
Breda O’Brien – prominent No campaigner – giving her reaction on RTÉ One right now.
A significant number of No voters still need their concerns addressed, she says.
Official announcement in the next few minutes (honestly).
The last of the results from Cork are being sent to the count HQ in Dublin.
Meanwhile – some more international reaction.
And the Fr Ted memes have already started…
For more, we refer you to The Internet.
By the way – Ted creator Arthur Mathews dropped by our offices last month, and gave his take on how Ireland’s most famous fictional priest might vote:
By the way, if it’s liveblogs your’e after – our colleagues over at DailyEdge.ie will be all over the Eurovision later.
It’s going to be a long night.
People who voted No had genuine concerns, says Leo Varadkar on RTÉ.
“A really proud day for everyone in Ireland,” he adds.
Official result in.
Ireland votes Yes.
Announcement just made by National Returning Officer.
To be clear - Ireland has voted by a margin of more than 467,000 to pass the Marriage Equality Bill, paving the way for same-sex marriage.
In total, 1,201,607 (62%) people voted for the amendment, while 734,300 (38%) voted against.
It makes Ireland the first country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal by popular vote.
Click here for the full story >
Some more news and reaction – since the official announcement…
A massive queue to get into The George, where Vincent Browne has just finished his broadcast.
And this is how the news was greeted in Panti Bar…
When will we see the first same-sex marriage?
Joan Burton spoke to us earlier this week about the next steps…
From the desk of the Vice President.
A joint press conference from Enda Kenny and Joan Burton happening now.
The Taoiseach just quoted Bill Withers in his speech.
“A bright, bright sunshine-y day.”
Really.
“Best small country in which to be gay(?)”
A typical Enda offering from this evening’s press conference.
By the way – it was a song made famous by Jimmy Cliff ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ the Taoiseach was quoting. Not ‘Lovely Day’ by Bill Withers as we thought earlier (it’s been a long day).
And we’ll just leave this here.
As we said, it’s been a long day.
We’re going to finish off our live updates.
We’ll leave you with the moment Senator Katherine Zappone surprised Miriam O’Callaghan by proposing to her partner Ann-Louise Gilligan live on RTÉ this afternoon:
She wasn’t the only one, by the way.
Check here for the full story.
By the way – if you’re done with the news, but not quite sick of glitter and celebrations, you may be interested in…
Click over to DailyEdge.ie for all the action.
Goodnight Vienna, from the liveblog…
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