--- description: Chris O'Dowd said he thought the Ireland referendum on gay marriage would be approved in an interview prior to the vote title: Chris O'Dowd Had No Doubt Ireland Would Legalize Same-Sex Marriage image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c35e45217c64641/698851765f570f4ecdb1ba52/chris-odowd.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Chris O'Dowd Had No Doubt Ireland Would Legalize Same-Sex Marriage by [Claire Howorth](/author/claire-howorth/) and [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/) May 23, 2015 4:35 PM CUT  Chris O'Dowd attends the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at Theatre Royal on May 10, 2015 in London. Chris O'Dowd attends the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at Theatre Royal on May 10, 2015 in London.Karwai Tang—WireImage/Getty Images by [Claire Howorth](/author/claire-howorth/) and [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/) May 23, 2015 4:35 PM CUT Before Ireland [voted to legalize same-sex marriage ](http://time.com/3895041/ireland-legalize-gay-marriage/ "undefined")on Friday, TIME asked the Irish actor Chris O’Dowd how he thought the country would vote in the historic referendum. “I think it’ll pass pretty easily, which is great,” he replied. He also said that if same-sex marriage was approved, then “it’s a sign that Ireland is progressing with the rest of the world and is escaping the clutches of the Catholic Church, finally.” Read the rest of the interview in the [May 18, 2015 issue](http://time.com/3849949/interview-chris-odowd/ "undefined") of TIME. ### Gay Pride in the 1950s: The Photo Booth as a Safe Space  J. J. Belanger cheek-to-cheek with a man in a photo booth. "PGE exhibition, Hastings Park." Vancouver, Circa 1953. J. J. Belanger—ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries  J. J. Belanger kissing a man in a photo booth. "PGE exhibition, Hastings Park." Vancouver, Circa 1953. J. J. Belanger—ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3895120/ireland-same-sex-gay-marriage-chris-odowd-catholic-church/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3895120/ireland-same-sex-gay-marriage-chris-odowd-catholic-church/"},"headline":"Chris O'Dowd Had No Doubt Ireland Would Legalize Same-Sex Marriage","datePublished":"2015-05-23T16:35:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:50:39.827Z","description":"He said a \"yes\" vote is a sign Ireland \"is escaping the clutches of the Catholic Church, finally\"","url":"https://time.com/3895120/ireland-same-sex-gay-marriage-chris-odowd-catholic-church/","keywords":["Ireland"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c35e45217c64641/698851765f570f4ecdb1ba52/chris-odowd.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Claire Howorth","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/claire-howorth/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. 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