Ireland looks to break ground as one of the first western countries to enshrine marriage rights for same-sex couples in its constitution. Polls are showing a 10 point lead for the referendum with a large majority of under-30 individuals supporting but the over 65 crowd saying no by a similarly large margin. In this traditionally Roman Catholic country the Church has largely stayed out of the fray despite sticking to its official “no” stance. In 2015, the Irish parliament enacted a marriage equality bill but this vote would make the law unrepealable without another constitutional amendment. I will keep you updated on this story as it develops.
See Peter Foster, Ireland Gay Marriage Referendum: What You Need To Know, The Telegraph, May 19, 2015.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
