Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LABOUR TD DOMINIC Hannigan has revealed he got married late last year, travelling to London to wed his partner of over two decades.
The Meath East TD is the first deputy to disclose a same-sex marriage and it comes ahead of a referendum on the issue that is due to take place in May.
“The marriage was just the two of us. Because we were in a civil partnership it was very straightforward, paying four quid and signing some papers,” Hannigan told TheJournal.ie today.
The ceremony took place in London on New Year’s Eve.
Hannigan, 49, has been with his partner, Chris, for over 20 years. He said that the big occasion had been the pair’s civil partnership ceremony in 2013.
“There was no cake or anything. The wedding was a very straightforward exchange of papers. When we had our civil partnership ceremony we did a cake and all that kind of stuff. That was the event if you like.”
Hannigan said he was not tempted to wait and see if the referendum was passed in Ireland saying that “the opportunity arose” and it was “unfortunate that we couldn’t do it here”.
“I would hope that if and when we pass the legislation here it would be easy for anybody in a civil partnership to upgrade to a marriage,” he said.
On Health Minister Leo Varadkar’s decision to go public about his sexuality over the weekend, Hannigan said that he didn’t think the Fine Gael TD had to do it but said it was “excellent” that he had.
“I think it’s an excellent step forward,” he said. ”It’s good in terms of the image it portrays. It sends a good signal out. It’s a positive thing.”
“He’s a very strong role model and it’s good for young people to see that the fact his sexuality isn’t holding him back and I would say he’s done the state some service!”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Good man Hugh. Can I suggest that you circulate this to some of your younger colleagues who have posted articles over the past few days which have suggested that the fans were responsible for this tragedy.
Hi Eamonn, can you give me any specific examples here?
@ Hugh. Sure, check out an article posted 22 hours ago in the Score section. The original wording was amended after I pointed out the facts of the Taylor Report but in the discussion below the article the writer repeats the assertion that " fan irresponsibility" was the cause of the tragedy. This is totally untrue. The Taylor Report clearly states poor crowd management and Stadium design as the key factors. Thanks Hugh.
@Eamonn: I understand this is a highly emotive subject, and I accept your point re:the ambiguity of the original wording, but your claim that I blamed the actions of fans for the tragedy is grossly inaccurate. I think if you re-read my comment, you’ll see that’s the case.
The significance of the Commons debate lay in its attempt to dispel the myth of fan irresponsibility once and for all, bringing the official, government narrative in line with the experience of supporters and victims. The PM is contemplating a public apology because that never really happened, even in the wake of the Taylor Report.
@ Conor. My concern is that comments like “The question of official blame, however, has historically been reduced to one of fan irresponsibility” is just simply untrue and unfortunately, only helps perpetuate the myth. I’m not sure how else I’m supposed to read this. This is totally at odds with the only official inquiry into the events leading up to the tragedy. That’s my point, nothing personal. Over and out. Thanks Conor.
Another of Thatcher’s legacies.
have your say