A man who has brought smiles to the faces of countless sick and deserving children was given a standing ovation by more than 250 guests as he was pronounced Cork Person of the Year.

Two men who played a leading role in campaigning for the marriage equality referendum are among the bookies’ favourites to win the upcoming Cork Person of the Year award.

The first same-sex civil marriages should take place by November after the Cabinet approved legislation enabling the reform.

Two long-time LGBT campaigners who played a prominent role campaigning for same sex marriage have been given a Cork Persons of the Month award.

Yes Equality campaigners have set their targets on ending the State-allowed ban on gay teachers in certain religious-run schools and beefing up transgender rights on the back of the success of the same-sex marriage referendum.

Former Fianna Fáil TD Pat Carey, who last month revealed at the age of 67 that he is gay, has urged committed Catholics to support the marriage equality referendum as they have been “the torch-bearers for human rights on other issues”.

Leo Varadkar, the health minister, has said the country is ready for its first gay taoiseach as he went public yesterday with his own sexuality.

In a dramatic shift in tone, a Vatican discussion document has stated that homosexual people have "gifts and qualities to offer".

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has been criticised by a gay rights group for upholding a complaint against RTÉ Radio’s Mooney show which accused presenter Derek Mooney of "making several statements implicitly and explicitly supporting same-sex marriage".

Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday expressed strong support for same-sex marriage in a move that will send him on another collision course with the Catholic hierarchy.

This week, civil-society organisations and individuals were invited to discuss the Scheme of the Gender Recognition Bill, 2013, with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection.

Two same-sex civil partnerships have taken place in Ireland every day since the unions became legal last year, including ceremonies for 14 people of pensionable age.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been called on to declare his support for marriage for lesbian and gay couples.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the “time has come” to recognise gay marriage and also called for a debate about stem cell research.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in Ireland is welcoming Barack Obama's support for same-sex marriages.

Jerry Buttimer says he has received nothing but support since becoming the first Fine Gael TD to come out as gay.

Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer has said he has received a lot of positive support since he came out as a gay man at the weekend.

Controversial motions at the ard fheis were few and far between.

Fine Gael has approved a motion calling on the Government to prioritise consideration of same-sex marriage.

The number of divorced people has soared by more than 150% since 2002.

Same-sex marriages from New York are to be recognised as Irish civil partnerships, following an order today from Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

The country's first public civil partnerships for same-sex couples are taking place today.

The Civil Partnership Bill comes into effect today.

THE first same-sex civil partnership will be recognised in Ireland within months.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern today signed the Commencement Orders for the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights of Cohabitants Act 2010.

Rights groups rounded on the Catholic Church today after Bishops called for TDs to be allowed a free vote on new civil partnership laws.

Gay rights activists today responded to a statement by ireland’s Catholic Bishops in which they said the Civil Partnership Bill undermines the constitutional position of marriage.

Plans for gay ’marriages’ were today denounced as crumbs from the wedding cake by campaigners insisting they don’t go far enough.

Gay rights groups have today called for a number of reforms to the Civil Partnership Bill which is set to be debated by the Dáil this evening as part of its progress into law.

New civil partnership laws for same sex couples are only a half-way house in the quest for full marriage equality, human rights activists insisted today.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has published proposed new legislation to establish a civil partnership process for same-sex couples.

CIVIL partnership for same-sex couples is now a matter of “practical and immediate urgency” for lesbian and gay couples, according to the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network.

Gay and lesbians want the right to adopt children under proposed new civil partnerships, it emerged today.