Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin today to march in favour of civil marriage equality.
The march began outside City Hall at 3pm and finished outside the Department of Justice on St Stephen’s Green.
Several prominent supporters of gay rights spoke at the demonstration including singer Brian Kennedy and Grainne Healy, a board member of the lobby group Marriage Equality, which has been campaigning since February 2008 for equality for same sex couples.
The speakers dismissed the Civil Partnership Act, which came into law earlier this year, as only serving to cement inequality in Irish society and called on the Government to legalise civil marriage for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) couples.
Speakers also highlighted the high rate of homophobic bullying and the resultant suicides which, they said, persisted in Irish schools.
There was also a sharp focus on transgender issues including difficulties people have in changing their gender on State documentation such as passports and birth certificates.
"Civil partnership does not give the same rights as marriage, it does not give equality. Children from same sex couples do not have the same rights as children from married couples," Ms Healy said.
She told the rally that the battle for public opinion had been won and "73 per cent of Irish people were now in favour of marriage equality for LGBT couples".
Speakers called on politicians and the judiciary to follow the will of the general public by introducing legislation giving full and complete legal status to LGBT marriages.