The Road to Marriage Equality in Ireland: Reflections on a Referendum after 10 Years

A panel discussion hosted by TriCON (the Trinity Centre for Constitutional Governance) at the Trinity Long Room Hub.

Speakers:
Dr. Katherine Zappone
Professor David Kenny (Head of School, TCD Law School)
Professor Aileen Kavanagh (Chair of Constitutional Governance and Director of TriCON, TCD Law School).

On May 22nd 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage by popular referendum. In this seminar, Katherine Zappone, David Kenny and Aileen Kavanagh will discuss the long and windy road towards marriage equality in Ireland. In particular, they will discuss the role of the case brought by Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan to have their Canadian marriage recognized in Irish law. Though Zappone and Gilligan lost their case before the High Court, this litigation was nonetheless a vital step along the road to securing marriage equality in Ireland.

About Dr Katherine Zappone:
Katherine’s life-partnership and eventual marriage to her late spouse Ann Louise Gilligan in 2003 shaped all of her political work. Theirs was an extraordinary love story. Katherine and Ann Louise were known for the case they took against the Irish state to have their Canadian marriage recognized in Ireland. Zappone and Gilligan vs The Revenue Commissioners, Ireland and the Attorney General [2006] IEHC 404, [2008] 2 IR 417. This legal action was the catalyst for the marriage equality movement, ultimately resulting in a constitutional win in 2015.
Katherine joined the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2011. Appointed as a Senator by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, she served in the Seanad until 2016 when she was elected to the Dáil and appointed a member of the Irish Cabinet, until June of 2020. Dr. Zappone led a large and cross-cutting, high budget department, and brought her vision for equity and diversity to the European Council and to high-level interstate gatherings in the United Nations including the Security Council and General Assembly. Prior to entering politics, Dr. Zappone was a lecturer in the School of Hebrew, Biblical and Theological Studies, Trinity College Dublin, a Commissioner with the Irish Human Rights Commission, CEO of the National Women’s Council, and a human rights activist. She holds an MBA from Smurfit University College Dublin, a PhD in religion and educatiaon from Boston College, and an honorary doctorate in Law from University College Dublin. She will publish her memoir, Love in a Time of Politics, in September 2025, Hachette Ireland.

Please let us know if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: aileen.kavanagh@tcd.ie