A Co Cavan woman says the marriage equality referendum was about making everyone in society 'equal'.
Marina McEntee from Kingscourt along with her partner are 1 of the nearly 6,000 same-sex couples that have tied the knot since 2015.
She says the yes vote 10 years ago, has brought so much joy to so many people including herself and her family over the past decade. The local woman who was 20 years of age at the time of the referendum says the result has changed lives.
"The numbers showed up, and it really helped people like me to see that I was seen as equal."
Marina said while the anniversary is an important milestone to mark, she said there is still much more to do following a shift in sentiment towards the LGBT plus community in recent years. The Kingscourt native says there was a fight that time for the marriage equality referendum and she feels that fight continues to push for full equal rights for the gay community.
Marina has been recalling the day of the referendum and what it meant to her. "I remember the day the referendum was called, I was so excited. I also felt a little bit sick, and you didn't know what way it was going to go at that time. I suppose the support was there, but you know yourself, getting people out to the polling stations on the day was the goal.
"I'd say it was one of the most successful referendums the country's ever had. The numbers showed up, and it really helped people like me to see that I was seen as equal. And, you know, my relationship was just as valued as everybody else's, you know, my sisters and my brothers, my entire family, it was a huge day for me and a lot of my friends as well.
"I was born in 1994 it was the year after homosexuality was decriminalised, and I know that kind of pertains more to men versus women, but, you know, to be born the year after that, and to grow up in a society where I thought, I didn't know any gay people. I never thought I would get married, it was something I always dreamed about.
"I'm delighted people turned out on the day and made that dream a possibility for me, and it's a dream I've got to live. And, you know, I just I couldn't have, I couldn't have, you know, even thought about it growing up. I never thought it was something I would see. You know, as much as people have been complaining for years, and I think to see all their hard work pay off, it was it was a very emotional day for me it was very emotional day for my family."
