ON MAY 22 2015, the Republic of Ireland became the first State in the world to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote, with 62.07 per cent voting to extend the right to marry to gay people.
"With today's Yes vote we have disclosed who we are – a generous, compassionate, bold and joyful people. The referendum was about inclusiveness and equality, about love and commitment being enshrined in the Constitution. The people have spoken. They have said yes," declared then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.
That extraordinary day, and the ‘Yes Equality’ campaign in the run up to the referendum, and the referendum's impact, inspired the book, A Day in May - Real Lives, True Stories by veteran journalist and broadcaster Charlie Bird, which explored LGBT+ Irish lives, which was made up of a series of interviews, including with Druid's Garry Hynes, and Galway based singer-songwriter, Steven Sharpe.
A Day in May has now been turned into a stage play by Colin Murphy, and comes to the Town Hall Theatre on Tuesday April 9 at 8pm, in a production directed by Gerry Stembridge.
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This is the story of the long fight which led to May 22 2015, the in-fighting along the way, the referendum campaign, and the lives of those caught up in the struggle. The Sunday Independent called it, "a powerful play about a triumph of civil and human rights", while Gay Community News said, "You’re guaranteed laughter, tears, and waves of that unnamable collective feeling we had on May 24, 2015, once more".
Tickets are €20 from the Town Hall (091 - 569777, www.tht.ie ).
