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VOTING HAS ALREADY begun in the marriage referendum, with Irish islanders casting their votes today.
Polling stations don’t open until 7am tomorrow morning on the mainland, but around 2,000 people are eligible to cast their votes on Ireland’s 12 islands.
Voting takes place a day before the mainland to ensure that even in the case of bad weather, the votes reach the count centres.
Inishbofin
Out on Inishbofin, presiding officer Augustine Coyne said that turnout at the polling station in the national school was at 70%.
“It was such a slow start we thought it wouldn’t reach 50%,” he told TheJournal.ie. “It all happened there in the evening after 6pm onwards.”
He said there had been “no campaigning whatsoever” on the island, and “people just came out, they had their minds made up”.
The polls close at 10pm but Coyne predicted they wouldn’t see any more locals turning up to cast their vote.
Inishturk
Bernard Heaney, presiding officer on Inishturk, said that turnout was high at about 46%.
It was high considering the amount of people, that would be 48 or 49 on the registry and a good few on the register that have moved away from the island so [they couldn't vote here]. Out of all of them on the island, 23 out of 32 voted so it was a high turnout.
Like on Inishbofin, there was no campaigning in the run-up to the referendum.
Heaney – who has been presiding officer on the island for over 30 years – added that there “would have been as much interest” in this referendum as in previous years.
A garda has taken the ballot boxes off Inishturk, and they will be brought to Castlebar so they can be counted alongside the other votes that are cast tomorrow.
Queues at the airport
Meanwhile, big queues were reported earlier this evening at Dublin Airport’s passport control:
District Magazine / TwitterThere's a monstrous queue to get into Ireland this evening. Guess what they're all back for? #MarRef pic.twitter.com/IP811asPV1
— District (@districtireland) May 21, 2015
Image Credit: Catherine Brennan
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Just let it end
Bread on bread is dry ating!
It’s the gift that keeps on giving
I was out campaigning for a No vote tonight – the Yes crazies really went mad this time. I have never seen so many people quite so incandescent with rage. The worst ones were the people who didn’t read the leaflets – they just realised I was a No campaigner and started shouting and raging. I asked one bloke was he going to get violent, because he was trying to grab leaflets from my hand and had his mad, bulging eyes 2″ from mine while he yelled obscenities. He was a lot bigger and younger and stronger than me too, the pup. Gives me extra hope for tomorrow to be honest – the mask is really slipping the last few days, as I have watched many Yes advocates give vent to what wasn’t righteous anger, but rather incoherent rage. All, without exception, BEFORE reading my literature.
I really feared for my safety at some stages – just because I was handing out a leaflet in support of not changing our constitution.
Hard to believe the threat of violence is so real, just because I have an opinion that is different to someone’s else.
What if you’re gone to Eurovision?
Irlande dus poit
That’s some story busted, did Keith Mills and Paddy whack job manning write it for you? Vote yes
That is more than likely another pack of lies, the no side are great at doing that these days! Cause clearly campaigners would do that in such a public setting, get a grip…
It’s not that you have a different opinion it’s that you have the wrong one. Your literature (and I’ve read the No campaign tripe) is false and misleading with regards what the referendum is actually about. mothers and fathers DO matter. As do children. But this referendum has NOTHING to do with that. It’s about allowing people of the same gender to marry. It will in no way shape or form harm or ruin the sanctity of marriage for straight people. It will in no way harm children. And it will in no way affect your life whatsoever. Presuming you aren’t gay then you will never ever have to marry someone of the same gender. Why go out of your way to not give others the right to do so if they so wish? That’s what my own personal problem with the No campaigners is. Have you not got anything better to do than to campaign against something that has nothing to do with you? Don’t like gay marriage. Don’t get gay married simple as. Because every argument or point your side is putting forward is not linked to the referendum. Do your homework before wasting your time spreading hurtful and discriminating red herrings.
I will advocate a Yes vote and talk about freedom, inclusion, tolerance. Acceptance, tolerance, understanding, compassion, consideration and love. Lots of love because love is all that matters. Don’t worry about the 3 parent family because with enough love nothing else matters. Are you with me in voting Yes then?
Because if you aren’t I will call you a right wing facist, a bigot, a homophobe, a church nutter.
Don’t cross me because I can be nasty.
@busted Anyone with sense can see the cracks in your comment. Pack of lies.
Tom, that horse is very high darling, mind you don’t fall.
“Child abuser has sentence halved as judges rule six-year-old victim ‘was gay’”
Interesting story in http://www.independent.ie/world-news/child-abuser-has-sentence-halved-as-judges-rule-sixyearold-victim-was-gay-31241346.html
Turns the nature-not-nurture argument on its head.
The child in this story has learned all his wacky behaviour from an abuser.
He’s going to grow up “gay” because his father’s a pedophile – or has the behaviour of the father nothing to do with the child’s orientation?
I’ll tell you where the “gay gene” is in that child – its in his father’s abusive behaviour – that’s how the child learned how to be a “gay” transvestite.
Well I was canvassing for a yes and I was called a pedophile! And told to go f** a woman up the ass instead! I was also told we should be all ran out of the country! And countless times call other names I won’t mention! So it’s on all sides!
I had a no vote leaflet dropped in my door. I wanted to hunt the fu ckers downs and tell them I didn’t want that fu cking sh it in my house.
I didn’t.
However, I can fully empathise with a yes voter becoming incandescent with rage at the crap spouted by the no voters.
So are you saying that straight people shouldn’t vote? Because it has nothing to do with them? My biggest problem with yes campaigners are people like you who can’t accept anyone elses opinion if it’s different from yours.
Busted – “hard to believe the threat of violence is so real”? Welcome to my world! If I *dared* hold my partners hand in Dublin I could guarantee you I would get some form of abuse, probably beaten up eventually. Try that on for size.
That dear sir is the most vitreous thing I think the No side have brought to fore to date.
Are you really reading what you are posting?
And this is your reason for voting No??
Just to summarise for readers, a young boy was sodomised by his dad for years, became accustomed to it, was subsequently abused by a paedophile and the judge cut the sentence in half for the paedophile because the dad had conditioned his son.
Talk about fu(king about with stories. That child was abused, nothing, nothing whatsoever to do with ssm, oh it’s a terrible and sad situation when the no side would ever even try to compare any gay person to the type of evil in the story.
My blood is boiling now, busted, you are a truly awful commentor.
I didn’t think it was anything like glass.
@jenni.At this point certain No posters are just dredging to find the most insane links between homosexuality and the most vile crimes they can locate online.If they came up to me on the street and tried to push that s*it as ‘interesting’ Id more than than tell them where to go.
If you see the word ‘ interesting’ before a link that looks like the one posted there just red thumb and move on.It’s not worth getting worked up over.
You’re right John. Their over scaremongering has gone overboard at this stage.
You’re gay and voting ‘no’ – ok Michael, we get it. Self-loathing much?
Same as myself Gemma, I was insulted by the fact they even approached the letter box. I am VERY optimistic the Yes vote has this in the bag! All the no voters are the same people moaning again and again. They shout loud but I don’t think they have the numbers! Pray sense prevails today! Vote YES
Veronica this impacts a lot of straight people. It effects all the youths in Ireland, they deserve an inclusive Ireland. It effects people like myself who are passionate about equality and don’t want to see their friends/family to be told they don’t deserve the same rights as the rest of us. It basically effects any straight people with empathy! I will be so ashamed of Ireland if this doesn’t pass! Though I reckon we have this in the bag !
People coming home to vote, that’s gotta be a helluva shot in the arm for the Yes side.
I was just thinking the same, incredible to see people flying home to vote, this could be the highest turnout for any referendum ever.
I think so too, fingers crossed!
It’s great to see that they’re still so passionate about what’s going in Ireland that they’re prepared to pay money to come home to vote.
I don’t think turn out will be that high. The outcome only affects a minority
Interesting that you think the outcome only affects a minority.The way the No campaign have been going on you’d swear that the world will end.
I think I’ve seen it happen before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcCTczvWlf0
Typical lazy journalism. No information on the type of boat used to transport the ballot boxes.
Vote YES and let’s get on with life folks.
So based on my highly scientific poll of red versus green thumbs, i can now conclude that the YES vote will win by a margin of 2:1, 66%-37%, with a deviation of +/- 3%. Thank you all for participating.
Big queues at Dublin airport means they’re all coming home to vote???? Or maybe there are only 2 lazy guards on the desks
Maybe it’s people taking advantage of the weak euro to go on the razzle in Dublin for the weekend
Disappointed not to be able to vote considering I’m already #hometovote would have been a massive YES from me. Vote Yes Ireland, the world is watching us. This is our time.
Why can’t you vote?
I hear you just need a passport and they must allow you cast a vote?
Postal votes went in days ago…..
Lesbians aren’t able to consummate the marriage so there are loop holes when it comes to annulment unlike a heterosexual marriage. I’m going to vote No.
Not all jurisdictions require consummation in Civil Marriage. This concept is quite tribal and traditionally put pressure on women to perform marriage rights for their husband. Marriage, without SSM, has already changed considerably!
What jurisdictions are you referring to in Ireland. Which jurisdictions do and which don’t. I feel this need to be addressed before we vote on it.
Fingers!
You do that, there was no requirement to tell us though.
Jaisus, how would you prove a heterosexual woman has consummated her marriage if she hasn’t had children? Are all the women you know virgins until their wedding night?
Maybe they’re just telling you they’re waiting til they’re married to avoid having to have sex with you?
Fingers Anthony?…..bah!….you’re just a beginner.
Daisy, I’d say he’s great craic on a date, not
It’s a legitimate point. It’s giving every lesbian a get out of marriage as it hasn’t been consummated. It’s going to allow one person in the marriage to automatically be granted an annulment as it’s quiet evident without the need for proof that the marriage hasn’t been consummated. Its unfair in its current form. We should not be voting until this issue is made clear.
VOTE NO.
Jaisus – maybe their fathers could display their bloody bed sheet to the village the morning after to prove they were virgins and that the marriage has indeed been consummated, as they do in certain Arabic cultures, would that help?
@Jaisus. If you bother to check you will see that the legal requirment to consummate a marrige was abolised a number of years ago. As it could not be proven or disproven if a marriage was consummated or not. Been only one persons word against another.
To annul a marriage based on consummation you have to prove impotency.
“Voidable marriage:
To prove to the court that your marriage is voidable, you must show one of the following grounds:
At the time of the marriage ceremony, either party was impotent. You must show that either you or your spouse was unable to consummate the marriage. You cannot obtain a declaration of nullity because one of you is infertile or because one of you is simply refusing to consummate the marriage. It must be the case that one of you is incapable of sexual intercourse.”
From the Citizen’s Information website.
And before anyone starts, female impotency IS a thing:
Jaisus
You actually have helped me to decide. If people like you are so clearly anti-equality, then the only way to vote is YES!
Let’s make this sh*t happen – and let people get on with their lives without others judging them
Gay people should be allowed to get married like everyone else. It’s a basic right. Vote no
?
Something of a contradiction there Gary
The idiots are coming out today.
No you got it mixed up again Gary. They should really have had more info on it. It’s a referendum about gay people being allowed become president. Vote yes!
Ah here if you’re going to censor me for having a sense of humour then I’m off to bed.
G’night all !!
I didn’t see anything bad in you’re comment that was removed Glen, jeezleweeez people are getting a bit touchy tonight.
David they have been there a good while now… lol.
In the unlikely event that the No side win, the No side will have won based on outright lies, distortions, distraction and deception. Cheating is despicable. Scaremongering is wrong.
The conduct of the No side has been nothing short of despicable throughout the Referendum campaign.
The No side has already sustained a serious moral defeat.
The No side were unable to understand that their desired end did not justify the dishinest means that they used.
Ill miss this nightly shitizzle with the yes side. Deep breath everyone – One big No vote tomorrow from everyone who wants keep male /female marriage enshrined in the constitution. No No NoNo no no
Vote yes yes yes
Shelly, you won’t get the chance to miss it if it’s a ‘no’.
Shelly, you’re the reason I’m voting YES. Thank you for helping me to decide!
Government delay surrogacy legislation to manipulate the vote to get a yes result in the referendum. Fg fool the people once again.
Ss couples can already avail of surrogacy as can any other person living in this country as there is no legislation surrounding it and it is not prohibited by law, when it does come to legislating for it, it is very likely it will be treated just like adoption when it comes to who can avail of it. This referendum is NOT about surrogacy. This has been confirmed by the commissioner for referendums who is legally charged with providing an unbiased and impersonal legal opinion on the facts of the referendum. Fact is fact.
Actually by all accounts if they had dealt with in advance it would’ve damaged the No side.
If it were already legally it wouldn’t be “we’ll be legislating for that separately either way.” It would be “doesn’t matter if you don’t agree with surrogacy because its already law. Voting no won’t scare the government into abandoning anything because its already done”
I feel like I’m in fu@king Punxsutawney.
In her?
NED RYERSON!!
In the town not the animal ;-)
Jesus don’t start bringing beastiality into the mix, peoples heads will explode.
It’s ok, they’ll be able to marry their tortoise in a couple of years, apparently.
Are people who are in prison or stuck in hospitals etc able to vote tomorrow too?
I was out campaigning for a No vote tonight – the Yes crazies really went mad this time. I have never seen so many people quite so incandescent with rage. The worst ones were the people who didn’t read the leaflets – they just realised I was a No campaigner and started shouting and raging. I asked one bloke was he going to get violent, because he was trying to grab leaflets from my hand and had his mad, bulging eyes 2″ from mine while he yelled obscenities. He was a lot bigger and younger and stronger than me too, the pup. Gives me extra hope for tomorrow to be honest – the mask is really slipping the last few days, as I have watched many Yes advocates give vent to what wasn’t righteous anger, but rather incoherent rage. All, without exception, BEFORE reading my literature.
I really feared for my safety at some stages – just because I was handing out a leaflet in support of not changing our constitution.
Hard to believe the threat of violence is so real, just because I have an opinion that is different to someone’s else.
Sounds legit. *Cough*
Settle down, will you, and stop exaggerating. You sound like you are reading from a script.
I’d say there is as much truth in busted britches post as there is in the NO leaflets.
Vote YES folks
Fekkin right it was legit. But don’t worry. I wasn’t scared and I didnt crap myself. But I thought I was going to lose a few teeth, alright.
Ha ha someone hiding behind a fake profile giving out about the yes side. So typical of the no side, lies lies and more lies!
That’s a lovely story. You’re quite good at short fictional prose.
Being told that you are ‘less than’ can sometimes make people angry. But you will more than likely never understand that.
Yeah you said before busted. I think you are “busted”
It sounds like you almost got your britches busted.
I thoroughly enjoyed your fantasy.
Yea I now what you mean I got chased down Henry street by a No campaign couple. Screaming you are all going to hell. Miss quoting laviticas and claming it was the gospel of luke.
La la la see we can all make up stories
Who write that for you? Paddy the liar Manning? I’ve heard it all from the no side at this stage, you really aren’t helping your campaign by posting blatant blown out of proportion lies on comment sections and forums. Vote yes tomorrow!
Will this be a movie as well?
so you would have lost the last three in your head ye gomey idiot.
Paula, never ever less than…just not the same, and by saying that I do no mean not equal before someone gets up on a high horse. I mean ss is different to male/female. Neither is higher up in importance- but they will never b the same
Aryan Blight incoming in 3…..2…..1…..
The marriage referendum, then The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013… The government can always choose their wording of names to mean the opposite of what they are???
Michael, you’re the reason I’m voting YES. Thank you for helping me to decide!
Sure my hubby voted days ago and I posted the ballot back
Vote no for th children of tomorrow! Don’t let abuse convicts “marry” and adopt innocent kids! # moral degradation
Government delayed surrogacy legislation to manipulate people’s vote to get a yes result in the referendum. Enda claims he is winning back the support of the people.
Saying it over and over again doesn’t make it true!
Vote yes and have a great evening.
@mdmak33
You’re the reason I’m voting YES. Thank you for helping me to decide!
Remember young people- selfies and campaign badges and t shirts not allowed in polling station.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6HD8KLQBvA
Gay men against the dangers of gay marriage…
Two* gay men against the “Dangers” of gay marraige.
prettttty sure the vast majority of gay men and women don’t feel the same way as those two.
The island of the speckled cow and boar island!!! Douze Point!!!
have your say