Reasonable people all over the world breathed a sigh of relief when in October this year, Ireland’s parliament passed the Marriage Act 2015, finally granting same-sex couples the right to marry.
Now there is yet more reason to celebrate, as the country has today marked its first ever same-sex marriage. After meeting twelve years ago in Dublin, Cormac Gollogly and Richard Dowling got engaged during a beach trip in Spain.
They had already formed a civil partnership but following the legislation have now tied the knot at the HSE Community Care Hospital in Clonmel, Tipperary.
In an interview with the Irish Times, Cormac paid tribute to the Irish people for passing the referendum and allowing him to marry:
It’s great to be the first to do it. It’s ‘Murphy’s Law’ – had we not booked the civil partnership ceremony, then I bet the marriage referendum would not have passed.
After signing the official register on a hospital trolley, the couple confirmed their status as the first same-sex couple to be married in Ireland.
The pair had a two week honeymoon in the Maldives after their civil partnership so just travelled back to Dublin for a celebratory meal with family and friends.
Congratulations guys!