This is amazing

[Osc]

We have our same sex marriage referendum today and we have just been to vote. While we were chatting to people, there was a constant stream of people and that is mid-afternoon, before people finish work. The people at the polling station told us it has been busy all day.

The really amazing thing is that thousands of people are travelling home from all over the world to vote, they think it is so important. If anyone is on Twitter, go to #hometovote and have a look. If you have been out of the country for less than 18 months you are still entitled to vote and I think it is wonderful that they feel the need to come back to do so - one would imagine that the vast majority will be voting Yes. I don't know how many of you know that my eldest brother was gay, he died in 1992, I'm not aware if he faced difficulties here because it was not discussed, my parents were married for 48 years and never talked about the fact that their eldest son was gay. Even when he died, of an AIDS related cancer, there were very few people to whom I could talk about it outside the family. Ireland has changed a lot in recent years, and this would be another link broken between church and state which would be a good thing.

Sorry to put something political on the Cafe but I felt it had a broader interest.

[Workingman]

Will they be able to get "married" in church or can a church refuse?

I could not care less, one way or the other, but at least you Irish got a referendum. However, if the result is "Yes" I wonder how much of it will be from a desire to give the Church a kicking, as many Catholics would like to do, and how much of it will be a vote for same sex marriage?

[saundra]

i saw on f/b about people coming home to vote(a young lady)
i think its good to live a life that you want and not to be dictated to by the church or goverment
and ireland as well as alot of other countries are rulled by religion
it must be very hard for parents to accept there children are gay especialy in the past osc

[Osc]

Will they be able to get "married" in church or can a church refuse?

At the moment the civil part of a marriage takes place in the church with the register being signed on the altar after mass and the religious ceremony. I can't see any Catholic priest agreeing to marry a same sex couple somehow! That is their right in fairness and at no stage have they been told they will have to do it. They have threatened to stop facilitating the civil ceremony, but that's no big deal, in other countries it is normal to have two different ceremonies. Also there is a gradual growth in wedding venues as in England where the civil ceremony and reception are all in the one place. As for the church getting a kicking....nah, they are so far down in terms of respect at this stage that that wouldn't even come into it. The No campaign, however, has been vicious and nasty with massive use of red herrings to muddy the waters (sorry to mix my cliches ) and I suspect they may have turned some waverers towards voting Yes.

Mind you, Mr Osc's two Friday golf companions are both well in their 70s and were both voting no, both for religious reasons (fair enough) and one of them had totally swallowed the no campaign's misinformation about children and wasn't for changing his view..... so who knows how it will go.

[victor]

it does'nt bother me if same sex want to get married-but not so when it comes to bringing up children

[Kaz]

It's fine putting it here on Café Osc

I think people should be able to marry their loved one, regardless of gender xxx

[Diflower]

I saw on facebook from early this morning Osc, as you say it's wonderful so many feel so strongly that they've made huge efforts to exercise their vote.

[Weka]

Same sex have been able to marry here for awhile. We do quite nicely out of the gay tourist trade as they can't marry in Australia yet.

The biggest change I've noted over the last 5 years is the number of unmarried couples raising children, and solo parents. I think that affects the family not more. I'm not really sure if I've come across a gay couple, I'm sure I have.

A friend in Sydney is lesbian, she had left, had a kid with a man, who hung around for all of 5 seconds, guess who supports her the most? Her original female partner. I'm not saying anything g into this,only, a child needs 2 significant people in their lives, and frankly I don't care if that's Arthur and Martha or Martha and her best friend of partner or... well you get my point. As long as they are there for the kid and have their back no matter what and love them unconditionally, does it really matter what gender they are? That's what makes a family and marriage is just a part of it.

[Osc]

Thankfully, it has been a massive Yes!! Final figures are not in yet, but the final tally figures for our constituency are 70% for, 30% against. A great and historic day for Ireland

[miasmum]

That is a fantastic result Osc. Well done Ireland.

I too have an Uncle that is gay, but luckily my nan was fine which must have been hard in the 60's.

Weka I couldn't agree more, loving a child is what matters