"Heartbroken" Children's Minister Katherine Zappone has paid tribute to her wife Ann Louise Gilligan who has died following an illness, writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor.

The first role of the new Dáil, on March 10, will be the appointment, in secret ballot, of the ceann comhairle. I propose Katherine Zappone.

John Meagher meets Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan, the women who sparked the debate for marriage equality when they fought to have their Canadian union recognised.

After the yeses come the I dos.

A human rainbow of hope burst through Dublin as centuries of oppression finally gave way to the sunshine of hope with one wave of the ballot box pencil.

Highlights includethe return of Anne Doyle, and Simon Reeve's new show on pilgrimages

A new legal challenge is to be launched against the laws that prohibit marriage for same-sex couples.

A lesbian couple who lost a legal case to overturn the prohibition on same-sex marriage has vowed to continue their lawsuit.

A LESBIAN couple are considering whether to continue with their appeal against a High Court ruling that they do not have the right to marry here under the Constitution.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny is appointing the President's husband, Dr Martin McAleese, to the Seanad.

THE Catholic bishops have come out and publicly stated their absolute opposition to same-sex marriages.

The Green Party’s achievements during its first 10 months in Government will go under the spotlight today at its annual convention.

The achievements of the women’s movement across Ireland was being celebrated this weekend with a host of events to mark International Women’s Day.

The Taoiseach's commitment to equality for same-sex couples is being called into question by gay rights campaigners.

SCHOOLS must care for children’s health and welfare as well as their education if they are to help poorer pupils escape the poverty trap, an expert warned yesterday.

SAME sex couples do not have the right to marry under the Irish Constitution, lawyers for the State told the High Court yesterday.

The Irish state’s refusal to recognise or allow same-sex marriages was compared to racial prejudice in the US during a landmark case before the High Court today.

SUPPORTERS of a lesbian couple seeking legal recognition for their overseas marriage have set up a fund to pay for their upcoming High Court case.

THE National Educational Welfare Board is demanding extra staff to help deal with more than 80,000 students who miss at least a month of school every year.

MORE staff are needed if the problem of regular absence from school is to be properly tackled, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) warned yesterday.

The Government’s attempt to deny legal rights to a same-sex couple married in Canada is shameful, it was claimed today.

I WOULD like to draw your readers’ attention to the headline ‘Gay challenge: married couples could face tax hikes’ and the sub-heading ‘Tax changes could cost exchequer up to €2bn a year’ (Irish Examiner, November 10).

IT’S remarkable that when there’s a threat that the State might have to spend money on something other than a minister’s extravagance - like somebody’s rights - there are colossal implications for the exchequer.

A lesbian couple were granted leave today to challenge the Government in the courts for refusing to recognise their same-sex marriage.

AN industrial relations dispute is delaying efforts to keep track of children who are regularly not turning up at school.