Irish vote of gay marriage
Discussion
Counting starts in the referendum in Ireland today, the result expected around midday.
Even three years ago I would have bet heavily against a Yes vote. Now it would appear that the result is unpredictable, with Yes being a slight favourite. All the polls suggest a Yes, but we know about polls, don't we.
This is a remarkable change, even if the vote doesn't go through. The church ruled in the old days.
Even three years ago I would have bet heavily against a Yes vote. Now it would appear that the result is unpredictable, with Yes being a slight favourite. All the polls suggest a Yes, but we know about polls, don't we.
This is a remarkable change, even if the vote doesn't go through. The church ruled in the old days.
i think the result will be a fairly resounding yes derek . a sure sign the stranglehold the church once had on shaping the beliefs in people (not just in ireland) is waning quickly.
these days i personally believe it is not even an issue of tolerance, the majority of people i know of various ages ,from teenage kids to older adults ,just do not even register an opinion when it comes to sexuality anymore.
these days i personally believe it is not even an issue of tolerance, the majority of people i know of various ages ,from teenage kids to older adults ,just do not even register an opinion when it comes to sexuality anymore.
Eric Mc said:
Ireland has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. The Celtic Tiger - for all its faults, gave the population a sense of confidence and self belief which removed the final remnants of oppressive legacy dating back to the formation of the state in 1921.
Has it removed them or merely pushed them back a bit? I'm told that there are vast areas where the church still rules as much as it always did.That said, in towns and, more so, cities the mood has swung to more modern morals. The young, I'm told, are if anything less likely to be overtly religious than the rest of the UK. This from a friend who is a frequent visitor to Dublin.
Derek Smith said:
Has it removed them or merely pushed them back a bit? I'm told that there are vast areas where the church still rules as much as it always did.
That said, in towns and, more so, cities the mood has swung to more modern morals. The young, I'm told, are if anything less likely to be overtly religious than the rest of the UK. This from a friend who is a frequent visitor to Dublin.
I have family who live there and have all their lives so I am well tuned into what is going on and the "word on the streets". I also listen and watch Irish media quite a bit.That said, in towns and, more so, cities the mood has swung to more modern morals. The young, I'm told, are if anything less likely to be overtly religious than the rest of the UK. This from a friend who is a frequent visitor to Dublin.
The country is radically different to what it was when I left 30 years ago. There will be people who hold conservative views but they are fading out as the years move on.
The only "conservative" view that is likely to survive for at least another ten years is the ban on abortion. In many other areas, Irish legislation is probably ahead of the equivalent legislation in the UK and is certainly way ahead of where they are in Northern Ireland.
I'm glad that common sense appears to have prevailed in Ireland. Part of me really admires the Irish system of amending the constitution through referendums however when it comes to minority rights this whole process has only been a success because public opinion is so tolerant in Ireland however in general terms is the idea that a majority can legitimise the right of a minority really a sensible one?
BlackLabel said:
I'm glad that common sense appears to have prevailed in Ireland. Part of me really admires the Irish system of amending the constitution through referendums however when it comes to minority rights this whole process has only been a success because public opinion is so tolerant in Ireland however in general terms is the idea that a majority can legitimise the right of a minority really a sensible one?
Welcome to democracy I was in Dublin on Friday and the campaigning was very visible all over the city.
It was interesting to see plenty of VOTE NO banners put up around the city but very few people actually out campaigning, while the YES VOTE campaigners were all over the place. Even a Ben&Jerrys VOTE YES stall was giving out free ice-cream.
People in my office also said that religion is now a minority in the country.
It was interesting to see plenty of VOTE NO banners put up around the city but very few people actually out campaigning, while the YES VOTE campaigners were all over the place. Even a Ben&Jerrys VOTE YES stall was giving out free ice-cream.
People in my office also said that religion is now a minority in the country.
I am very pleased with the result. I am most impressed with the fact the public have been trusted to have a say in something that represents such a major change in Ireland even though they might have voted the 'wrong' way. I hope the No campaign doesn't force a second referendum the way the pro EU campaign did.
The public referendum will avoid some of the negative aspects for me that the coalitions approach left on gay marriage in the UK.
The public referendum will avoid some of the negative aspects for me that the coalitions approach left on gay marriage in the UK.
brenflys777 said:
I hope the No campaign doesn't force a second referendum the way the pro EU campaign did.
With the victory being so overwhelming, this will not happen.You can watch events unfold live here -
http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/live/8/
Edited by Eric Mc on Saturday 23 May 16:43
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