It was an interesting week for the Marriage Referendum debate on Newstalk - the Commission ramped up its information campaign ahead of polling day; the Yes side received two high profile endorsements; and one campaigner for the No side... well, got a little confused.

First up was Lunchtime on Monday, when the Chair of the Referendum Commission Mr Justice Kevin Cross explained what exactly people would be voting for, which has been highlighted in an “unbiased” guide that he believes “will stand up to scrutiny.”

Mr Cross also pointed out what effect the Marriage Referendum, if passed, will have on existing marriages:

“The effect is that the entitlement to marriage has been broadened from the traditional way of looking at it – a man and a woman – to allow same-sex marriage,” he told presenter Ciara McDonagh (standing in for Jonathan Healy). “In a legal sense, it is our [the Commission’s] view, that it [the Marriage Referendum] will have no impact on existing marriages,” he added.

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Later on the same day, in an exclusive interview on the Right Hook, Mary McAleese, Iar-Uachtaráin na hÉireann (or ‘Mary’ as she now likes to be called) nailed her colours clearly to the mast when she called on a Yes vote in the interest of “Ireland’s gay children.”

In the wide-ranging interview, Mrs McAleese told George Hook that same-sex marriage is a "human rights issue," and that she and her husband, Martin, believe that everyone should be able to "love someone for life" and have that love recognised "at the highest level of Irish society."

But not everyone was clear on where the former president stood on the matter. One such person was the Catholic advocacy group Iona Institute patron Breda O’Brien who, on Tuesday’s edition of Newstalk Breakfast called on Mary McAleese “to clarify exactly what she meant” by her comments made the previous day.

Ms O’Brien inferred that the former President of Ireland had given the implication “that people who vote No are part of the architecture of homophobia.”

When presenter Chris Donoghue pointed out that Mrs McAleese “did not say those words”, Ms O’Brien then said she “accepted that she [Mary McAleese] did not say directly that people who vote no are part of the architecture of homophobia, I would like to remove any implication that that is the case."

Confused? So were a lot of people...

I have a half a pound of butter here. I wonder would Breda O'Brien like to clarify that for me. #VoteYes #MarRef

— Mark O'Halloran (@markohalloran) April 14, 2015

Fair play to Breda O'Brien voicing her opinion against such hostility and vitriol. The bullying,intimidation is astounding #Shameless #vinb

— Pádraig Keogh (@PadraigKeogh) April 14, 2015

I'd like Breda O'Brien to clarify her comment that aliens stole her washing. She didn't make that comment? Pfft, that's not how it works.

— Chris (@cri5b) April 14, 2015

So Breda O'Brien, a member of a lobby group that are officially not campaigning in this referendum but are, is annoyed that someone else is?

— Fintan O'Toolbox (@FintanOToolbox) April 14, 2015

Just realised Mary McAleese actually did use the phrase "architecture of homophobia" yesterday - makes more sense why Breda O'Brien used it.

— Colin Caverly (@ColinCaverly) April 14, 2015

Speaking of social media, on Thursday Twitter Ireland’s managing director Stephen McIntyre, along with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, claimed that a Yes vote for gay marriage would be good for business.

However, Ben Conroy from the Iona Institute told Lunchtime that the tech company was potentially setting a precedent by “interfering with Irish politics” rather than “sticking to their own area.”

Twitter’s campaign is explored in more detail by UCD’s school of politics and international relations lecturer Graham Finlay, who notes that new media now stands at a political crossroads.

Finlay also poses the question that as more high profile people and companies continue to endorse a Yes vote via social media, what media will critics of marriage equality use to best get their message out?

Well, yesterday the Mothers and Fathers Matter held a press conference in which they claimed gay marriage would see a "new form of austerity" against Irish children.

The group's chairman Professor Ray Kinsella says he believes in respect for "all loving relationships" - but adds that they are "not all the same". He says that a No vote on May 22nd would be best for Irish children.

Meanwhile, the Yes campaign said it hopes the debate in the run-up to polling day will be "respectful".

And with just under five weeks to go, speed (and accuracy) will also be a matter of urgency for both sides.