“On the 23rd of May 2015 the people of Ireland made history by becoming the first country in the world to vote by popular mandate to change their constitution to allow for the introduction of same sex marriage. The joyous scenes from across Ireland and Dublin Castle, as the historic vote was declared, made headlines across the globe.

But more than anything else the May 2015 vote was about changing the ‘Real Lives’ of the largest minority of people in Ireland: the LGBT Community.

The exhibition on show here in Gallery of Photography features stunning portraits by leading Irish photographers: Karl Hayden, Tristan Hutchinson, John Minihan (famous for his portraits of Samuel Beckett), Peter MacMenamin, John McColgan of Riverdance fame and Kate Nolan.

The exhibition is accompanied by a specially produced book ‘A Day In May’ by Charlie Bird – a poignant record to be read by everyone, gay and straight alike. The portraits compliment the voices on paper to powerful effect, amplifying the life-affirming impact of the day in May 2015 when Ireland said Yes to Equality”. Priced €24.99, the book is available in the Gallery of Photography and all good bookshops nationwide. All proceeds from the sale of the book are going to Console – the suicide awareness charity.

“…these stories collected by Charlie Bird, filled with bracing honesty and heart-breaking personal revelation, make clear that being gay in Ireland was perhaps a more essential aspect of Irish history and Irish reality than anyone was aware.” Colm Tóibín

Gallery of Photography 10 May – 22 May 2016