AN AUSTRALIAN DOCUMENTARY looking at the Irish Marriage Referendum has been getting big reaction.
In the programme, broadcast as part of the Foreign Correspondent series on the ABC News channel, correspondent Sally Sara travels across Ireland to gain an understanding of why what she describes as a ‘traditionally conservative country’ voted Yes.
There are also reflections made on the situation in Australia, which is currently in the middle of a debate over whether to legalise same-sex marriage.
Much of the programme focuses on the influence of religion in Irish life and how it impacted on the Referendum.
At one point Sara travels to Enniscorthy in Co Wexford where the priest read out a letter from the bishop instructing parishioners to vote No. This saw a number of people, including members of the choir, get up and leave the church.
Interviewed as part of the programme were Paddy and Brighid Corcoran, the Catholic couple from Louth who featured in a viral video as part of the Yes campaign.
“I think it’s more Christian to have a bit of compassion and love for your gay community, gay children. Nobody knows when someone belonging to them will come out and say ‘I’m gay’,” said Brighid.
What are they going to do? Are they going to say, ‘don’t want anything to do with you’? We were blessed that our love for our Padriag was unconditional.
Speaking in the programme, Paddy said:
I have absolutely no trouble with the church. I am still a good Catholic. And I would say maybe I’m a better Catholic than I was.
The programme has drawn a big positive reaction on social media:
Although some viewers were a little bit confused about why there was a need to give some of the documentary’s subjects subtitles.
The full documentary can be watched here.
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