As the number of days to the referendum on May 22nd gets smaller and smaller, the campaigns to sway undecided voters and win over anyone from the opposing viewpoint has kicked off in earnest. Earlier today, Twitter officially declared that its Irish office is campaigning for a yes vote, and while people on the no side won't agree with that stance, both sides are on the same page when it comes to acknowledging that eligible vote counts and should be counted come polling day.
While a number of restrictions are in place that mean that broadcasting bodies cannot make a formal declaration nor recommend their viewers or listeners go either way, celebrities and well-known faces around the country are letting it be known how they intend to vote. In the era of social media, the ability of these stars of the screen, the sports field, and the music stage to reach thousands of people with the tap of their fingers could play a part in the voter turnout - and political parties will be eyeing up the impact of social media ahead of next year's general election.
On the no side, while members of advocacy groups that support a conservative and traditionalist definition of marriage, along with several political characters, have taken up the mantle of representing their views on the pages of newspapers and the airwaves of television and radio, few have been those from the entertainment and sporting arenas who've actively declared their intentions to vote no.
If the current polls are to be believed, it would suggest that among the well-known and beloved, there are many who are intending to vote no, but who, as is their right, are choosing to remain silent. Extensive searching online will only bring up the newspaper columnist Bruce Arnold as the most famous no campaigner not representing such an organisation. But if we've missed any celebrities who've publicly voiced their support of the no side, please let us know in the comments section below.
On the yes side, things are remarkably different, starting with this video that debuted yesterday:
The 'BeLonG To' short, which features Aaron Heffernan and Brian Gleeson from Love/Hate, comedian Eric Lalor, and Denise McCormack, star of TV3's Irish soap opera Red Rock.
From the world of sport, a number of Irish people famous for their skills on the pitch have pitched in with the yes side, as part of the Straight up for Equality campaign. From the GAA, Neil Collins (Roscommon), Eamon McGee (Donegal), and Paul Geaney (Kerry) all recorded video pledges, along with Richie Sadlier, the former Irish footballer and current pundit:
Richie Sadlier shares why he is voting YES on 22 May
A video posted by @straightupforequality on Apr 12, 2015 at 1:02pm PDT
Adding his vote is Off the Balls Brian O'Driscoll, former Ireland rugby international, as well as his wife, the actress and writer Amy Huberman:
I'm certainly voting yes! #straightupforequality
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) March 13, 2015
100% totally definitively positively affirmatively voting YES!!! #straightupforequality
— Amy Huberman (@amyhuberman) March 15, 2015
Huberman's The Clinic co-star Chris O'Dowd also tweeted a yes vote, when responding to a question from the actor and writer Mark O'Hallaron in January:
@markohalloran Yes! Count me in boss.
— chris o'dowd (@BigBoyler) January 23, 2015
The Roscommon funnyman was matched by stand-up comedians Maeve Higgins and PJ Gallagher:
Maeve Higgins is #straightupforequality
A video posted by @straightupforequality on Apr 5, 2015 at 3:13pm PDT
Funny man PJ Gallagher is #straightupforequality
A video posted by @straightupforequality on Apr 8, 2015 at 5:43am PDT
The comedy group turned social commenters The Rubberbandits also advocate a yes vote, though revealed that wearing their political hearts on their sleeves has not come without a price - and perhaps gives the best indication as to why celebrities who intend to vote no are mostly staying quiet:
Just had a squint at our facebook, we lost 10,000 page likes since announcing support of Gay marriage. Shower of gowls.
— Rubber Bandits (@Rubberbandits) March 19, 2015
The comedian Tara Flynn has long been an advocate of changing the legal status of marriage in Ireland, having produced a number of viral sketches on this issue:
Other musicians calling for the introduction of same-sex marriage include Kodaline, Hozier, The Frames, Le Galaxie, Delorentos, The Coronas, Niall 'Bressie' Breslin, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Lisa Hannigan, The Script, Glen Hansard, and BBC radio DJ Annie Mac.
[Images: Straight up for Equality]
TV personalities like Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, Gay Byrne, Brendan Courtney, Maia Dunphy, and Angela Scanlon have all openly said they favour voting yes in this 34th referendum to change the Irish constitution. As well as the Irish actor Colin Farrell, whose declaration of his support for the yes side was announced in an interview on the RTÉ current affairs show Claire Byrne Live, and tweeted around the world by Ellen Degeneres:
Colin Farrell explains his support for marriage equality in a beautiful way. I couldn’t have said it better myself. http://t.co/dWt9hIWrgh
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 20, 2015
Voting will take place on May 22nd, and whether or not you choose to vote with or against any of the above celebrities is the choice of each registered voter.
Anyone wishing to change their polling location must return the RFA2 form to their local authority at least 15 days before polling day.
