Ursula Halligan and Tánaiste Joan Burton join ?Ireland AM? to discuss Ireland?s historic breakthroug

TV3 GROUP RELEASE

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday 25th May, 2015.

 

Ursula Halligan and Tánaiste Joan Burton join ‘Ireland AM’ to discuss Ireland’s historic breakthrough.

 

‘Ireland AM’ welcomed Tánaiste Joan Burton and Ursula Halligan on to the couch this morning for an exclusive chat on the TV3 breakfast show.

 

TV3 will also be marking the momentous story of how Irish citizens voted in favour of same-sex marriage with a host of special programming throughout the day.

 

Tánaiste Burton says that legislation should come before the Dáil in the next few weeks.

 

‘Ireland AM’ airs Monday to Friday from 7am – 10.00am on TV3.

 

‘Ireland Says Yes’ airs tonight (Monday 25th May) at 9pm on TV3.

 

Click here to watch the full ‘Ireland AM’ interview.

 

TV3’s Political Editor Ursula Halligan and Tánaiste Joan Burton appeared on Ireland AM this morning (Monday 25th May) to discuss the historic amendment to the country's constitution to allow same-sex couples to marry. Over the weekend, Ireland became the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. Ursula and Tánaiste Burton joined Mark Cagney on the couch and spoke candidly about what the result meant to them.

 

Tánaiste Burton has been pivotal to the ‘yes’ campaign as she urged people over the last few months to vote in favour of same-sex marriage.

 

Tánaiste Burton speaks of her elation following the recent outcome: “It was really one of the most positive, uplifting campaigns I’ve ever been involved in and in that sense to get the result that we got was really the topping on the cake in the end of the day. I’ve never seen so much happiness around and happiness is sometimes in short supply in politics. I think it was also a moment for Ireland; the eyes of the world were on us.”

 

She adds: “There were so many young people. I’ve never had as many people coming to me and literally putting their arms around me and bursting into tears after any kind of election, good or bad.”

 

When asked about when legislation will come into effect, Tánaiste Burton replied: “It should come before the Dáil in the next few weeks. We’ve [already] done a lot of work on it and it will have to go before both the Dáil and the Seanad; that takes a number of weeks but I would hope that we would have it finished before the Dáil rises in the summer.”

 

Ursula made world headlines earlier in the month when she wrote a poignant and powerful article in the Irish Times where she opened up for the first time about being gay and called for a ‘yes’ vote.

 

On ‘Ireland AM’ this morning, Ursula opened up for the first time since her heart-breaking revelation: “It was overwhelming, I never expected two, three months ago when this campaign started that the Irish people would vote in such huge numbers in favour of marriage equality so for me personally, as an individual, as a human being, it was very emotional.”

 

TV3 will be marking the momentous story of how Irish citizens voted in favour of gay marriage with a host of special programming throughout the day including a TV3 special, Ireland Says Yes, which captures all of the unforgettable moments from the campaign, from beginning to result, airing tonight (Monday 25th May) at 9pm. Ursula Halligan gives her personal view on the significant day, sharing her feelings on how it has changed her life and the lives of others in a “personal reflection" piece for TV3’s The 5.30 News. Later in the evening, Vincent Browne will also be reflecting on the remarkable day and the making of world history in the Tonight show at 11pm.

‘Ireland AM’ airs Monday to Friday from 7am – 10.00am on TV3.

 

Click here to watch the full ‘Ireland AM’ interview.

 

ENDS

 

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NOTES TO EDITOR

 

Ireland AM has seen its viewership increase hugely over the last 15 years. At its launch in 1999, Ireland AM averaged 6,500 viewers and a 6.20% share compared to an average of 56,500 viewers and a 29.93% share in 2015, year to date. The three hour breakfast show hosted by Sinead Desmond, Mark Cagney, Alan Hughes, Anna Daly and Aidan Cooney reaches on average over 400,000 viewers weekly. This easily makes Ireland AM the most watched breakfast show on Irish television.