Ireland sealed the deal on marriage equality with the Marriage Act 2015 this past October. A referendum in May revised the Irish constitution to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples. The bill was signed into law late last month, but did not go into effect until Nov. 16. After Monday, same-sex marriages that had been performed abroad were legally recognized in Ireland.
Up until recently, Ireland had very little to offer same-sex couples. The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 allowed for the union of gay couples through “civil partnerships.” Though a major step in the LGBT movement, the legislation was limiting to gay couples, having no provisions for tax entitlements or the ability to adopt or have joint guardianship of any child.
The 34th Amendment to the Irish Constitution resulted in joy around the nation. When proposed, the Marriage Act 2015 met opposition from many Irish churches and religious organizations. These establishments argued that marriage is between one man and one woman. Though the legislation did eventually pass, those who still oppose it based on religious belief are not obligated to perform ceremonies for couples who identify as the same sex.
Universal regulations that had governed only traditional marriage now concern all marriages in Ireland. Current law states that all marriage applicants observe the same grace period requirement that was enforced upon opposite-sex partners. The regulation demands that any pair who wish to marry must give a 90-day notice before a decided date. Couples that had previously committed to a civil partnership were able to marry only a day after the law went into effect on Monday.
The first marriage between two men happened Tuesday. Cormac Gollogly, a lawyer based in Lordship, married his partner Richard Dowling. Their relationship began in 2003. Both men had previously celebrated their civil partnership with a large ceremony in September. The marriage, by contrast, was small with only two witnesses in attendance. The ceremony was presided over by Mary Claire Heffernan, the same county registrar that performed the couple’s civil partnership two months ago.
Because the two were involved in a civil partnership before the new law, they were able to register for their wedding with only a 24-hour grace period. Their quick action allowed them to marry by Tuesday morning. Afterward, the two commented that the official marriage was only in recognition of what they had already celebrated in September. Watch the historic moment in Irish history here.
The first members of the United Kingdom to enact marriage equality policy were England and Wales, both passing legislation in 2013. They were followed by Scotland late last year. Ireland is the last to take action on a marriage equality policy, only recently decriminalizing homosexuality in 1993. Being a country still dominated by religion, Ireland’s actions have given hope to many across the globe.
As exciting as it is to be one step closer to a more unified world, there is a long way to go in the fight for total marriage equality around the globe. Twenty-three countries around the world now allow and recognize same-sex marriages, making for a total of 12 percent around the world. The Netherlands was the first to do so in 2000, with the United States only introducing their own policies earlier this year.
