´óÏó´«Ã½

I've just watched "The Wedding", a new documentary by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Northern Ireland -- to be broadcast on Monday (10.40 p.m., ´óÏó´«Ã½ 1 NI) -- which tells the story of Shannon Sickles and Grainne Close, who when they became the UK's first same-sex couple to have a civil partnership ceremony.
The ´óÏó´«Ã½ had exclusive access to the ceremony itself at Belfast City Hall; you also see Shannon and Grainne in New York, where they first met; and talking about their up-bringing, their experience of coming out, their family life, and what it's like to be gay in Northern Ireland. They walk along a street in New York's Greenwich Village, without turning heads, and talk about how they would be nervous to hold hands in Belfast -- and how ironic it is that they are able to become legal partners in Belfast while that freedom is still not afforded to gay people in New York City. We also see religious protestors gathered outside Belfast City Hall on Monday 19 December 2005, when they took their vows, shouting insults, waving Bibles at the couple, and carrying banners denouncing the ceremony as the legitimisation of "sodomy".

This is a fascinating and utterly compelling programme about a moment of history. The producer/director is Natalie Maynes, who has produced two recent TV projects I've presented. I will be very surprised if this doesn't win some big awards for Natalie and her team.