The "Plain People of Ireland" say yes to equality

It was a remarkable day in the Republic of Ireland as it became the first country in the World to  vote for the legalisation of Gay Marriages by public affirmation through a referendum




There has been a tendency of Liberal minded people in the UK to shake their heads at Ireland branding it Social Conservative and feeling it was still under the sway of the Catholic Church.

All this has changed . The opinion pols had suggested a Win by a large margin but I suspect there was a fair bit of anguish among IA supporters that people in favour of Gay Marriages  would not bother to vote .

But the high turn out saw an overwhelming turn out  and it not often Cai on Blog Menai  gets things wrong but  he wrote beforehand

You can be absolutely sure that Donegal North East had voted No when the votes are counted tomorrow - even if it is every other constituency in the state have voted Yes. The constituency is very conservative and vote against any relaxation of the Catholic ethos Republic - without exception. Most West constituencies with the same trend, as well as the rural constituencies in the gut of the country. You can also be sure that affluent constituencies, urban as Dublin or Dun Laoghaire South East voted Ia. They are very liberal constituencies.  

I imagine that Cai will be delighted to have proven wrong  

It could be that the first time that we saw a schismatic change in  attitudes  when On 20 July, 2011 Taoiseach  Edna Kenny condemned the Vatican for its role in the scandal,On 20 July, Kenny condemned the Vatican^[85] for its role in the scandal,  obstructing the investigation was a serious infringement upon the sovereignty of Ireland and that the scandal revealed "the dysfunction, disconnection and elitism that dominates the culture of the Vatican to this day".^[He added that "the historic relationship between church and state in Ireland could not be the same again".^[

Kenny's attack on the Vatican was unprecedented by a high-level official in Ireland. The speech was widely regarded as extraordinary, with the Daily Mailcommenting that the attack was "the first time that Ireland's Parliament has publicly castigated the Vatican instead of local church leaders during the country's 17 years of paedophile-priest scandals".The Guardian remarked that " the political classes have...lost their fear, namely of the once almighty Roman Catholic church. stating that the Church's role in obstructing the investigation was a serious infringement upon the sovereignty of Ireland and that the scandal revealed "the dysfunction, disconnection and elitism that dominates the culture of the Vatican to this day".He added that "the historic relationship between church and state in Ireland could not be the same again".^[

Kenny's attack on the Vatican was unprecedented by a high-level official in Ireland. The speech was widely regarded as extraordinary, with the Daily Mailcommenting that the attack was "the first time that Ireland's Parliament has publicly castigated the Vatican instead of local church leaders during the country's 17 years of paedophile-priest scandals".^[88] The Guardian remarked that " the political classes have...lost their fear, namely of the once almighty Roman Catholic church.

But it would be wrong to assume that this is just a reaction to Scandals within the Catholic Church . It is an indication that among young people especially attitudes have changed  and now it can claim  to be a progressive Liberal Nation . 

Ireland has proved that it is now a leading liberal European Nation in which by voting as they did on Friday has proved that the idea of Gay Marriages is not just  that of the Political elite but that of the people.

I wonder in the UK an especially Wales whether we would support  such a measure not only through opinion polls but also by actually turning out to vote.

Because maybe it was the Turnout higher than some recent General Elections that emphasised the  sheer victory for the IA side 

This has been one of the greatest votes for equality  ever and I salute the "Plain People of Ireland" in their overwhelming  Yes.