On the 23rd May 2015 the people of Ireland made history by becoming the first country in the world to introduce marriage equality by popular vote. The joyous scenes from Dublin Castle and across Ireland, 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 group in Ireland: the LGBT Community.

Charlie Bird, inspired by the extraordinary Yes Equality campaign, travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to record first-hand the moving life stories from over fifty people who were deeply affected by the marriage equality vote. These are the real stories from ordinary LGBT people who have lived in the shadow of inequality and oppression for decades. A Day in May is a poignant record of that transformative moment in Irish history that will appeal to everyone – gay or straight, yes or no voters, those at home or who watched history unfold abroad. Stunning portrait photography complement the voices on paper to powerful effect, amplifying the life-affirming impact of that day in May 2015 when Ireland said Yes to marriage equality.