A group of Irish comedians unable to vote in Friday’s (23 May) Irish referendum on legal abortion have come together to urge those with a poll card to ‘Be Our Yes’.
The online film features Irish actors and comedians such as Chris O’Dowd, Ed Byrne and Father Ted creator Graham Linehan, as well as the half-Irish Katherine Ryan, Jimmy Carr and Roisin Conaty – all of whom cannot get to the polls as they have been living outside of the country for more than 18 months.
In various clips they explain how voting to repeal the Eighth Amendment from the country’s constitution is a matter of women’s liberty, and ask those able to vote to ‘Be Our Yes’. As it stands, the Eight Amendment guarantees unborn right to life, hence criminalising the majority of abortions.
The short opens with Sharon Horgan and Aisling Bea dressed in outfits from The Handmaid’s Tale, however these are quickly swapped for jumpers that read ‘Repeal’.
Later in the film, Bea explains that voting to remove the Eighth gives you “that same mad buzz as a good [Catholic] confession, but without the added shame”, and hopes that “Waterford Crystal and Tayto be Ireland’s biggest export – not women".
The spot was edited by Andrew Nolan. It was made in support of the campaigning group ‘Together For Yes’.
: Together For Yes 'Irish Comedians Abroad: Be Our Yes'