Senator Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan married in Canada in 2003 and had sought to have that marriage recognised in Ireland. They launched a legal appeal when the State and the Revenue Commissioners failed to do so, and when the State denied them leave to marry here.

Their original High Court action in 2006 was unsuccessful, when the court interpreted the Constitution as limiting ‘marriage’ to a partnership between a man and a woman, sparking a national debate which would continue for a decade. The Irish nation took to the polls on 22 May 2015 to vote on the legalisation of same-sex marriage. In total, 62% of voters backed the amendment, while 38% voted against it.

Ireland had voted in favour of same-sex marriage. It made Ireland the first country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal by popular vote. The Bill that enacted the marriage referendum was signed into law on 29 October 2015.

“I’m feeling emotional from the top all the way down to my toes.” - Senator Katherine Zappone, who unsuccessfully fought years of court battles to have her marriage in Canada recognised in Ireland and proposed on live television as the results became known.

“We have created a change, all of us. That’s the wonderful thing about the referendum, all of us together have created this change.” - Anne Louise Gilligan.