Ireland poised to legalize gay marriage as votes tallied

DUBLIN — Ireland was poised Saturday to become the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by national referendum, a vote that has highlighted the dramatic pace at which this traditionally conservative Catholic nation has changed in recent times. No tallies or results have been officially released yet in the nation, which only decriminalized homosexuality 22 years ago. However, leading figures from both sides said voting patterns signal a major victory for the "Yes" vote. "We're the first country in the world to enshrine marriage equality in our constitution and do so by popular mandate," Leo Varadkar, Ireland's health minister, told state-broadcaster RTÉ before the results were declared. "That makes us a beacon, a light to the rest of the world of liberty and equality. It's a very proud day to be Irish," he said. More