Editor's Note: At the end of last month, Moncrieff reporter Henry McKean published an article on Newtalk.com in which he outlined the experience of talking to Yes and No voters in Co Donegal. Newstalk is bound by a statutory requirement mandated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to cover both sides of the argument equally when reporting on the referendum.

With Donegal's electorate having voted in the opposite way as the rest of the country in recent referendums, McKean travelled to the north-western county to gauge the political atmosphere there, speaking to Yes Equality canvassers in Letterkenny and a No voter in Buncrana.

He also took to the streets of Buncrana to ask members of the public how they were voting, with respondents claiming they were voting no for a number of reasons (religious, political, traditional perceptions of marriage), with one man replying that he was voting no because the county is "backward." 

McKean's report and article received a huge response on social media, often negative, particularly from the station's Donegal listeners. In Buncrana, a local group organised a Yes-side rally to show that there is strong support for same-sex marriage in the Donegal town, with one attendee taking umbrage with the label of "backward", stating that the voters of Buncrana are "progressive, intelligent, and proud of our people here today." 

You can watch the video taken at the 'Stand By Me Buncrana' rally below:

You can read Henry McKean's article and listen back to his full report from Donegal below:

No-man's Land: Why "backward" Donegal will vote No to same-sex marriage

I visited Buncrana in Donegal, a beautiful town on the Inishowen peninsula, with a population of more than 6,000 people. On the four-hour drive from Dublin the scenery was stunning.

We wanted to find out how Donegal would vote in the Same-Sex Marriage Referendum, since the county has a reputation for voting no, and disagreeing with the popular vote around the country every time Irishmen and Irishwomen take to the polls. As reputations go, it isn't entirely fair – the voters in the north-western county have voted the opposite way from the rest of the country nine out of 32 times since 1958. Perhaps more interesting is not the people voting no, rather those who don’t know; Donegal has had the lowest turnout in returns 21 times that the country has made a decision on changing the constitution.

I wanted to find out how the county would vote this time. 

Newstalk has many staff from Donegal, a county which is often ignored by the national media and the government of the day, being isolated and almost surrounded by Northern Ireland. The Donegal way of life, is like no other, strong willed, independent with a great ability to survive no matter what.

Anecdotally we heard mountainous Donegal could vote No in the Same-Sex Marriage referendum. I contacted the Yes and No campaigns and asked could I hang out with them, to see how they’re going about influencing the minds of Donegal voters.  

I arrived into Buncrana and had a snack in Oscars, a local café, and met a friendly woman originally from America who was excited that a radio station could be interested in her adopted town. I then set up my radio equipment and started to stop people at random, young and old on the main street to get their thoughts.

A woman in Buncrana enjoy the sun with her dog

The opinions from Donegal members of the public were mainly undecided and No. The reasoning behind these stances varied. “We are a very backward county, I think the church still has a bit of influence around here,” one passerby said.  

What is clear is that Donegal is angry with Enda Kenny and the water charges and doesn't trust the government. “It doesn't bother me, I have loads of gay friends, as long as they don't do it in front of me,” a woman told me. She was countered by a 22-year-old man, saying: “Vote No, I don’t think it’s right men should be kissing men.”

“I don't think it’s honest and it’s a f##king disgrace and they can't have kids,” another added.

I then went to visit Flanagan's furniture shop on the sea front in Buncrana, which has been in business since the Second Would War.

There I met Christopher Flanagan who is involved in the No campaign, he made me a cup of tea in the family home kitchen, flanked on either side by a cross, a statue of Jesus, and a St George calendar on display.

I asked Christopher if he was religious.

“I go to mass every Sunday, I don't go to bible class, I have a relationship with God, it helps with my life,” he said.

“Same-sex couples can love each other, they want to be together, they want to make a commitment to each other and I see nothing wrong with that,” Christopher explained, ”But when they throw children into the mix I have a serious problem with that.”

I pointed out that's not what we are being asked to vote on. Christopher's response was, “I don't trust this government. I never have. Since I was very young I watched Irish governments break promises on the Irish people.” 

I also travelled to meet the Yes campaign on the outskirts of Letterkenny.

As they were canvassing and door knocking, I met Sinead Murray, a woman who has a partner and a teenage daughter and worries that Donegal could vote No. “It's important to me that our family unit is recognised,” she said.

Yes campaigners in Donegal canvassing in Letterkenny

We knocked on a few doors and got a few Nos. “I would be extremly disappointed if our people would vote against us,” Sinead said. “I'm an LGBT youth worker myself, if it was a Yes across Ireland and Donegal votes No it would be absolutely devastated and heart breaking for them."

Sinead met a mother at the door who said she would vote No. “I don't think I'm going to vote Yes, it’s very personal thing and I would be embarrassed to say how I was going to vote,” the woman explained.  

Sinead, emotions getting to her, said to the woman: “It affects me and my family. It affects us. We are known as a shared family, my love for my partner is the exact same as yours, genuinely to us if you would just consider it.'

Since my radio report was broadcast I have had hundreds of tweets reacting to the item and thousands have listened to the podcast.

Many people in Donegal are angry and say those voices do not represent them and are shocked by people’s opinions.

But that is what many people in Donegal think and have a democratic right to vote anyway they like. Don't shoot the messenger, I just report what I see, I know nerves are running high but we must listen to both sides and give people fair and equal coverage even if you disagree with what average people think and say. 

Listen back to Henry McKean's full report from Donegal for Moncrieff below: