After the Irish people voted with a resounding "yes" to approve a constitutional amendment that will allow same-sex marriage, the first such ceremony will likely happen in September this year.
The news was announced by Tanaiste or Deputy Prime Minister Joan Burton who said the amendment would be brought to Ireland's legislature Seanad (Senate) and Dail (House) as soon as possible and have it passed before the summer recess.
"That would mean that we would be in a position to have same-sex marriage celebrations, civil ceremonies by, probably, September," she said, according to the Irish Times.
On May 22, 62.07 percent of voters voted "yes" to amend the Constitution while 37.93 percent voted "no." About 1.94 million voted in the referendum with a turnout of 60.52 percent. Roscommon-South Leitrim was the only area which voted "no" to the amendment.
The report said the Constitution will be amended when Irish President Michael Higgins signs the Marriage Equality Bill into law with a new sentence added that says, "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex."
The Marriage Bill 2015 will also state that religious authorities will not be obligated to solemnize the marriages of same-sex couples.
"The result sends an important message to the world (that) all people are entitled to enjoy their human rights and human dignity, no matter who they are or whom they love," said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
BeLonGTo, a coalition of organizations that campaigned for the amendment, said the victory means that "we've changed forever what it means to grow up LGBT in Ireland."
"The Irish people, via the ballot box, have today given each and every gay child and young person in Ireland – and across the world – a strong and powerful message that they are loved, they are cared for, and don't need to change who they are," said Michael Barron, founding director of BeLonGTo.
The coalition claims there are an estimated 75,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or L.G.B.T., children and young people under 18 in Ireland.
