Ireland 'takes a huge step forward' as first same-sex couples marry

A hug and a kiss were how Wayne Gough and David James ‘DJ’ O’Hanlon celebrated being among the country’s first same-sex married couples yesterday.

They tied the knot at 9.30am, at one of Ireland’s most beautiful settings, overlooking Lough Eske, at Harvey’s Point Hotel, outside Donegal town.

The couple, who live in the little village of Lordship, near Carlingford, Co Louth, had a simple wedding before registrar, Siobhan Duffy-Browne.

The Irish tricolour stood alongside a rainbow flag, because the pair wanted to represent the LGBT community and to remember all of those who had never made it to a wedding.

DJ, 41, an accountant, and Wayne, 40, a ground-handling company boss at Dublin Airport, wed overlooking a lakeside pier, where they got engaged a year ago. T

hey didn’t know then that a referendum in May would give them the right to a same-sex marriage. By the time the referendum was passed, they had arranged for a civil partnership in Harvey’s Point, on September 25, with 130 guests invited, so they went ahead.

They were both in Dublin Castle for the referendum count and to be a part of the national celebration.

Their biggest disappointment was that the ‘Yes’ vote wasn’t law in time for their civil partnership, on September 25. They honeymooned on a Carribbean cruise after that ceremony.

David James (DJ) O’Hanlon and Wayne Gough, become one of Ireland’s first gay couples to marry, at Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal, today. Photo: James Connolly.

They plan another holiday to celebrate their wedding.

Wayne said: “We don’t know if we are first in Ireland, but we are definitely first in the north-west. Apart from today’s ceremony, we plan to have another party, for more guests, later in the week. We want to keep the party going. It’s just amazing. Everybody loves their wedding day”.

DJ said: “We agreed to publicity, because it wasn’t so long ago that people like us, in this country, had their lives blighted by hate. Ireland has taken an enormous step forward.”

They both wore navy Paul Costello tuxedos. Wayne had a maroon bow-tie and DJ had a maroon straight tie. Wayne’s sister, Karen Morrison, and DJ’s sister, Linda Duffy, were groomsmaids.

At one stage, the two men discussed which would change their surname after they married, but they finally decided to keep their own names.