Ten Years of Equality: Meath locals reflect on a decade of marriage equality in Ireland

Thursday 22 of May 2025, marked the ten year anniversary of Ireland’s marriage referendum proposal being passed to introduce marriage equality into the Irish Constitution. The 34th Amendment of the Constitution states that “provided that marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.”

This act changed the lives of many, with almost 6,000 same-sex marriages taking place in Ireland since the law was passed. On May 22 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, with a huge 62% of the country voting ‘yes’ in the referendum. While the celebration of equality and love continues, the campaigning and pushing for a more accepting Ireland by the LGBTQ+ community in the years previous to the referendum can’t be forgotten.

Amongst these voters and campaigners is Navan native Patrick Lawlor, who has been a LGBTQ+ activist since 2015. Patrick co-founded Navan Pride in 2023 and has been the chairperson of the voluntary-led organisation and the main organiser of the Pride festival for the last three years.

“The main aim of Navan Pride has been to improve visibility for the people of Navan and Meath where there are no services for adult LGBTQ+ people. I also want differences to be celebrated, bigotry to be confronted and to encourage more people to become allies of the community.”

Having been campaigning since before the referendum, Patrick reminisces on the yes vote coming through, stating that it was a “momentous time because it finally normalised same-sex relationships by law after years of shame that the church and state was responsible for.”

“What it said to the LGBTQ+ people of Ireland was ‘you’re just like us, you love who you love, and we’re OK with that.’ A lot of people needed to hear that because they had never felt it before.”

“Many still feel an inner sense of shame or secrecy about their sexuality and that's residual from old Ireland. Thankfully, a lot has changed, but we still need to teach our future generations that difference is normal. We're all different in some way and sexuality is just one aspect of that. We should embrace difference. Not shame it.”

Another Meath local and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Aoife Mallon of Bohermeen, speaks of her time campaigning with volunteer groups pre-referendum. Aoife was a part of a grassroots volunteer organisation called LGBTQ NOISE when she first began campaigning for the rights of the community. Aoife highlights how far Ireland has come as a nation but also acknowledges on how much more growth we have to do as a country in terms of the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

“I think what made NOISE such a powerful group was that it remained committed to advancing the rights of all LGBTQ+ people and saw marriage equality as one important battle, but not the only one.”

“We knew the significance of this victory, but we also knew that it was not the end of the struggle. Even with marriage equality, and in the 10 years since, we still see discrimination against LGBTQ+ families, there is still homophobia and transphobia in schools and the workplace, trans and non-binary people are experiencing heightened violence and degradation.”

Aoife continues to support and fight for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and her vision and hope for the future is that her young daughter will grow up in an Ireland that is truly equal, safe, and inclusive. For aoife, Pride is a celebration of diverse experiences.

“Pride is about being able to live and love authentically and have the same rights as everyone else. But it is also a call to action, a moment to say ‘wow, look at how far we have come and look at what still needs to change’. The struggle continues and it is so important that the people of Meath get out and join us on June 21 for our Navan Pride March.”

For some Meath locals, the marriage referendum was a time of firsts. A young man and Navan local, Thomas Kennedy, was an openly gay man who had just turned eighteen at the time, meaning that this was the first time he was ever eligible to vote. With something that he felt greatly passionate about being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Thomas was delighted to be able to vote, but admittedly thought that he would never want to get married.

Now, Thomas is one of a growing number of gay people who are planning their weddings in Ireland, with a date set for late next year for him and his partner, Louth native, Niall Staunton. From being a teenager fighting for equality to a young man looking forward to a future with his fiance, Thomas is just one example of the good the vote brought upon the country.

The ten year anniversary marks a milestone of ten years of growth, hope and equality for Ireland, and while we reflect on how far we have come, it is important to remember that the fight for equality in Ireland continues.

The Navan Pride March takes place on June 21 2025 and a full itinerary of events over the summer can be found on the Navan Pride website. These events are especially important to those who are based in Meath and the surrounding areas and are a way to continue the protest and support for love, equality and hope.