A Day in May
Published on 26. October 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
96 pages
978-1-350-36969-6 (ISBN)
Description
There's a million in the middle - and they might go either way.
On May 22nd, 2015, the people of Ireland voted resoundingly for marriage equality - making Ireland the first country in the world to introduce gay marriage by popular vote.
Little about Ireland's 20th-century history suggested that the country would find itself at the vanguard of LGBT+ rights. "Homosexual conduct may lead a mildly homosexually-orientated person into a way of life from which he may never recover," warned the Irish Supreme Court in 1982. Homosexuality remained criminalised till 1993.
But a long, hard fight by determined activists, as well as the individual efforts and sacrifices of thousands of ordinary people, gradually made the case for gay rights and, eventually, marriage equality.
Colin Murphy's documentary drama, based on interviews by the journalist Charlie Bird, charts the arc of that fight - culminating in the fervour of the final campaign weeks - interwoven with the personal stories of some of those who were touched by it.
This edition was published to coincide with the presentation of A Day in May at Dublin's Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire, in October 2022.
On May 22nd, 2015, the people of Ireland voted resoundingly for marriage equality - making Ireland the first country in the world to introduce gay marriage by popular vote.
Little about Ireland's 20th-century history suggested that the country would find itself at the vanguard of LGBT+ rights. "Homosexual conduct may lead a mildly homosexually-orientated person into a way of life from which he may never recover," warned the Irish Supreme Court in 1982. Homosexuality remained criminalised till 1993.
But a long, hard fight by determined activists, as well as the individual efforts and sacrifices of thousands of ordinary people, gradually made the case for gay rights and, eventually, marriage equality.
Colin Murphy's documentary drama, based on interviews by the journalist Charlie Bird, charts the arc of that fight - culminating in the fervour of the final campaign weeks - interwoven with the personal stories of some of those who were touched by it.
This edition was published to coincide with the presentation of A Day in May at Dublin's Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire, in October 2022.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 5 mm
Weight
95 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-36969-6 (9781350369696)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Colin Murphy writes plays about politics, and journalism. He is the author of a series of plays on Irish political history: Haughey/Gregory, on the 1982 "Gregory Deal", Inside the GPO, on the Easter Rising, Guaranteed!, on the bank guarantee of 2008, and Bailed Out!, on the subsequent crisis and Troika "bailout" of 2010, all produced by Fishamble. He adapted the latter two for screen, as The Guarantee and The Bailout (both produced by John Kelleher Media). He adapted the Charlie Bird book A Day in May for the stage. His verbatim dramas, Jack Duggan's War and Judging Shaw (based on Fintan O'Toole's book of the same name) have been staged by ANU Productions. His short film Leave to Remain was made for RTE Storyland (produced by Treasure Entertainment). He writes a weekly column for the Sunday Business Post.