Irish politician marries same-sex partner in London
Irish politician Dominic Hannigan has become the first member of the Irish parliament to enter into a same-sex marriage.
Mr Hannigan, Labour TD for Meath East, is first member of the Dáil to wed their same-sex partner.
Same-sex marriage is not yet legal in Ireland – with a referendum on the issue set to take place in May this year.
The Labour politician revealed today that he tied the knot with partner of two decades, Chris, in a New Year’s Eve ceremony.
The pair travelled to London to marry, in a low-key ceremony.
Mr Hannigan said: “It was a 20-minute ceremony with no witnesses and it cost £4.”
He also praised Health Minister Leo Varadkar, who came out as gay earlier this week.
He told the Irish Star: “I do believe there are some people in this house who are gay but have not yet come out.
“I don’t think coming out is anything to be feared. It is up to each individual.
“There is nothing to be feared. You can gain a lot and feel happier.
“But you have to understand that people have very different reasons that make that decision very hard. They could be married, for example.
“Leo will be a very positive role model for [young people]. It will help kids to come to terms with themselves. It will make a lot of people much happier in themselves and it will lead to better mental health.
“When you have made the decision to come out, that it what you have to do. There is no point in doing it on a small scale – get it done and dusted and then it ceases to be an issue.”
