Gay couple makes history with civil partnership

HISTORY was made yesterday when Barry Dignam and Hugh Walsh became the first gay couple to undertake public civil partnerships, with the number of guests almost outnumbered by the media.

Dignam, a filmmaker and lecturer, and his partner of 17 years, Hugh Walsh, entered the civil partnership at the Registry Office in Dublin city centre yesterday, claiming the event was a huge step forward for same-sex relationships.

The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, issued a press release wishing them well.

The two men basked in the cementing of their long-term relationship.

Barry said: “We did the regular that’s in a civil partnership declaration and everything and then we had a couple of lines that we just kind of busked.”

Asked how they felt afterwards, Hugh said: “Wedded”. Barry said: “It’s kind of odd and great and special,” before Hugh added: “We are basically just two faces. We are interchangeable with the thousands of gay couples in this country and who love each other and who are going to do this.”

When the couple met it was illegal to be gay, but both felt that full marriage rights was the next step.

There were some tears during the ceremony, they said, while the music choices included Howard Jones’ Someone You Need, Prince’s Paisley Park and for the kiss at the end, an orchestral version of Dancing Queen from the film Muriel’s Wedding.

At 4pm, it was time for the second ceremony.

Solicitor Thomas Cahalan, 48, and his 52-year-old partner Nicholas Nelson, who works in retail, were able to make their five-year partnership official, more than three years after they had a commitment ceremony in Seville.

Thomas, from Nenagh, said that he met Nicholas from Templeogue on the internet and that they were delighted to have been able to become officially “partnered” in the eyes of the state. They too mentioned “what people have gone through before” and hailed the introduction of civil partnership, but also said full marriage rights for same sex couples should now be on the agenda.

Opinion was still divided regarding the historic ceremonies. The pro-family Iona Institute said it hoped civil partnerships would not become a stepping stone to same-sex marriage.

However, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network said it was “a great day” and “a very significant advance”, while the gay rights group Noise welcomed the ceremonies yesterday but said they did not represent equality.