22 thoughts on “‘If Things Were Different…’

    1. Ultach

      On the first point, I have no idea but if you’re going to put something like that up please provide evidence. On the second point, you are wrong. Sure, she uses, I if I recall correctly, two English words, but she speaks the best of Toraigh Irish. I know. I hope other Irish speakers reading this will concur. But that is miles beside the point, don’t ya think.

    2. Dubh Linn

      “No” trolling hits a new low. Thank you for reminding me to remind all my friends and family to vote YES. Where would I be without your barrel scraping to remind me to remind everyone to vote YES.

      Ta.

  1. Noel Sharkey

    As this is my mother in the video, I can verify that she did indeed have a brother. As for “proper Irish”, any native speaker would disagree with you.

  2. Jane

    This, I think, is the most powerful message the yes side can give – that real, human people are affected by the result of this vote and the unhappiness and desolation that inequality can lead to spoils the happines of the person discriminated against but also has a ripple effect into whole families and communities. How could anyone listen to that woman and not think, that could be me talking about my child?

    1. donkey_kong

      I genuinely don’t get the link between allowing ssm and her brother’s death – you cannot say they are linked.
      The causes of suicide can be complex .

      This ad was made to pull at the heart strings – unless he left a note saying he killed himself for this reason I think it’s a leap to say this now.

      I’m voting yes but this type of advertisement doesn’t sit well with me.

      I say this as respectful as I can as i know the lady went through a lot of hardship.

      1. Jane

        Well obviously few people here will know more than she says, but presumably she feels that, as someone who knew her own brother, that the symbolic acceptance that people coming out to vote to allow fuller citizenship rights to gay people might have made a difference to how he felt about the degree to which he would have been accepted.

        Of course there is no way to say that her brother’s death was based on one factor alone, but she clearly feels that it had an impact on his life, and I would say that none of us are well placed to argue with that.

        1. donkey_kong

          i know what you are saying. I find it difficult to argue really.
          But that said I don’t like this type of emotional campaigning – I genuinely (with respect) don’t agree with the type of ad or the detail.

          But so be it – there are worse things out there

          1. JC

            Donkey, i dont actually think you will be voting yes. I think you are clutching at straws tbh to make yourself sound like a reasoned person. Perhaps if same sex marriage was allowed for the past few decades her brother would not have felt the need to keep his secret out of fear. fear of being accused of not being normal.

            But sure whatever you are having yourself. I suspect you got the full message from the video and are attempting to side step the issue.

          2. mike

            Plenty of emotional campaigning on the no side too:

            Whinging about a picture on a gable wall being unfair to some wan in Castlebar.
            Whinging about a guard in uniform standing with a former Supreme Court judge in uniform.

            .. and the children, won’t someone think of the children.

            So, it goes on, and it works. Bravo to the woman in this video. I think it will generate yes votes from her neighbours.

  3. Joe cool

    Careful B.s. you’ll have the iona on soon, stating you’re trying to unfairly influence the population

  4. Kieran NYC

    By the way – has there been any discussion or polling at all about the presidential age referendum? What’s the general feeling towards it?

  5. Dubh Linn

    To Kathleen (and her family), my commiserations on your loss. I think it is very brave of you to share so reasonably the heartache and the hardship that you have endured as a result of the death of your brother.

    For me, it would be very hard to see beyond a loved ones death and think about how it could serve as a message to others to treat people more fairly. I am in awe of your generosity of spirit.

    I hope Ireland as a whole comes together to vote YES for all those that feel driven to despair because they think that society does not value them or think they deserve the same rights as others.

    I hope that Ireland comes together and shows itself to be a modern, progressive, inclusive, caring society that wants equality for all its citizens (and non-citizens)

    I hope that Ireland throws off another part of the oppressive cudgel of the church and its determination to dictate to us about who can love or marry who in this country.

    I hope that once we get that YES vote, you can feel proud of the compassionate contribution you made to that vote and know that you have represented your brother, your son and all other LBGT people in this country with great dignity.

    That’s it really. Oh and ignore the begrudgers.

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