It was on this day, May 22 in 2015 that Ireland became the first country to legalize same sex marriage. What makes this so controversial is that it is primarily a Roman Catholic Country.   According to a New York times article, “not long ago, the vote would have been unthinkable. Ireland decriminalized homosexuality only in 1993, the church dominates the education system, and abortion remains illegal except when a mother’s life is at risk. But the influence of the church has waned amid scandals in recent years, while attitudes, particularly among the young, have shifted”. It is truly remarkable that this passed. At the time the United States allowed same sex marriage in 37 states, but not long after, on June 26, 2015 the United States Supreme Court did rule that same-sex couples can marry in the US. Ireland led the pack though, they carried the torch as the first country to allow same-sex marriage.