At 7.20pm on 23rd May 2015, in the courtyard of Dublin Castle, Ireland truly became a nation of equals. Ireland Says Yes is the fast-paced narrative account of all the drama, excitement and highs and lows of the last 100 days of the extraordinary campaign for a Yes vote in the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum. Those who led the Yes Equality campaign tell the inside story of how the referendum was won, and how Ireland’s two principal gay and lesbian rights organisations put together the most effective and successful civic society campaign ever launched in Irish politics. As well as a drama-packed chronological account of how the Yes campaign was executed, the book explores how social media mobilised a new generation of voters to the polls and how political parties, student unions and youth groups co-ordinated their efforts to deliver one of the most historic referendum results in Irish political history.

In May 2015, Ireland became the first country to introduce marriage equality following a national referendum (which amended the Irish Constitution). The following month, the U.S. became the first to do so directly on foot of a national court decision. Both Ireland and the U.S. were the subject of some criticism for settling the marriage equality debate in the way that they did. The use of the courts in the U.S. was seen by some as inherently undemocratic, since it restricted the decision-making power to just nine unelected judges. The use of the referendum in Ireland was seen by some as almost too democratic, in that it used a purely majoritarian process to decide on whether a human right should be enjoyed on an equal basis by a minority group. This paper has two main arguments, both of which are grounded in constitutional history: first, that the mechanism used for settling the marriage equality debate in each country was inevitable, and second, that it was appropriate to that country. The resolution of the marriage equality debate followed established patterns in the search for a decisive victory in a religious-moral controversy, and has close parallels with the abortion debate in each country. The fact that the legislative route has been used in every other country where marriage equality has been introduced, and navigates a middle road between the opposing disadvantages of litigation and referendums, does not mean that it would have been the appropriate route for either the U.S. or Ireland, where certain fundamental political disputes tend to be resolved through constitutional politics rather than ordinary politics.

Tracing the campaign for marriage equality, this book highlights how this movement and the related referendum result have propelled Ireland from a country perceived as one repressed and controlled by the Catholic church to a country that is now admired as a leader in equality of human rights.

The definitive history of the marriage equality debate in the United States, praised by Library Journal as "beautifully and accessibly written. . . . An essential work.” As a legal scholar who first argued in the early 1990s for a right to gay marriage, William N. Eskridge Jr. has been on the front lines of the debate over same‑sex marriage for decades. In this book, Eskridge and his coauthor, Christopher R. Riano, offer a panoramic and definitive history of America’s marriage equality debate. The authors explore the deeply religious, rabidly political, frequently administrative, and pervasively constitutional features of the debate and consider all angles of its dramatic history. While giving a full account of the legal and political issues, the authors never lose sight of the personal stories of the people involved, or of the central place the right to marry holds in a person’s ability to enjoy the dignity of full citizenship. This is not a triumphalist or one‑sided book but a thoughtful history of how the nation wrestled with an important question of moral and legal equality.

Crossing the Threshold is the official history of the role played by the Marriage Equality organisation in leading the way for the successful passage of same-sex marriage in Ireland. Featuring contributions from lead campaigners, their personal perspectives will inspire anyone with an interest in campaigning for social justice, anyone who volunteered, marched or canvased, or who wished to know how the drive for marriage equality played out over the previous decade. Leading figures, including Katherine Zappone, Ann Louise Gilligan, Gráinne Healy, Brian Sheehan and Niall Crowley, broach everything from fundraising and political strategic support to personal efforts and sacrifices, giving a full understanding of the multi-faceted undertaking of running a campaign that continues as a shining example of what it means to strive for a socially progressive Ireland. Crossing the Threshold is the swansong of all those involved - an insightful confirmation of everything that has been achieved. Hear the voices of the campaigners and examine the details of the strategies adopted that changed Irish hearts and minds to say Yes to equality in the Marriage Referendum 2015.

In 2015, Ireland will hold a referendum on the subject of extending marriage rights to same-sex people in the State. This referendum is the culmination of one of the most rapid and transformative changes in Irish society over the last century. In this book, Una Mullally charts the development of the debate from its origins to the present day. Based on interviews with all the key figures involved, from politics and activism to journalism and the media, the book paints a vivid picture of where we have come from and how we have arrived at this defining moment for Ireland.

'Crossing the Threshold' is the official history of the role played by the Marriage Equality organisation in leading the way for the successful passage of same-sex marriage in Ireland. Featuring contributions from lead campaigners, these personal perspectives will inspire anyone with an interest in campaigning for social justice, anyone who volunteered, marched, or canvased, or who wished to know how the drive for marriage equality played out. Leading figures-including Katherine Zappone, Ann Louise Gilligan, Grainne Healy, Brian Sheehan, and Niall Crowley-broach everything from fundraising and political strategic support to personal efforts and sacrifices, giving a full understanding of the multi-faceted undertaking of running a campaign that continues as a shining example of what it means to strive for a socially progressive Ireland. 'Crossing the Threshold' is the swansong of all those involved-an insightful confirmation of everything that has been achieved. Hear the voices of the campaigners and examine the details of the strategies adopted that changed Irish hearts and minds to say 'Yes' to equality in the Marriage Referendum 2015. [Subject: Marriage Equality, LGBT Rights, Politics, Irish Studies]