They say the flap of a butterfly’s wings on one side of the world can result in a hurricane on the other. This seems to be more evident than ever in the wake of Ireland’s landslide victory for marriage equality in the 2015 referendum. It was an exciting time to be home – I’ve never seen so many people of my generation so politically engaged. I’ve never seen so many people volunteer to canvas for a referendum result – and so many people from older generations change their opinions over time as our country becomes more progressive and less held back by the Catholic Church. It was heartening to see the joy and celebrations in Dublin Castle as the results came out – though I had to catch it mid-air on a flight back to Sydney. (In-flight Wi-Fi is great nowadays, by the way.)

In every news report on US networks, they felt it necessary to say that this result was a surprise in a staunch Catholic country. Every time I hear that phrase, I get a bit irked, as Ireland is no longer a Catholic backwater. Everyone I know who has got married in the last few years has done it outside of the church, and everyone who has had children has been brave enough to stand up against “tradition” and refuse to indoctrinate them into a religious system they don’t understand. Ireland is decreasingly Catholic, indeed decreasingly religious – and moving towards a far fairer, far more progressive and far less judgemental society. Catholic Ireland’s dead and gone, it’s with Iona in the grave.

To come off a 24-hour flight exhausted but content, and land back in Sydney to discover that everyone over here was talking about the referendum too brought home the true global impact of the Irish people’s decision. Less than a week has passed and the Australian government has agreed to allow a conscience vote on gay marriage in parliament. Tony Abbott still holds out for the “traditional” (ie – discriminatory) view. Hardly unsurprising from a politician whose alternative career option was preacher, and who cut all funding for the Climate Commission as soon as he was elected claiming that the government couldn’t afford it, but then proceeded to invest several times that amount in a national school chaplaincy program. He said “There are a range of views inside the Parliament; there are a range of views inside my party room; frankly there’s a range of views inside my family.”

Opinion polls put the Australian electorate’s support for marriage equality at over 70%, similar to the Irish electorate’s views several months before the referendum. But now, for the first time, politicians on both sides of the house will be able to vote freely on gay marriage, rather than being tied to either party’s official stance. We should have a vote by the end of August. Australia is one of the few western states that still does not offer marriage equality – and it looks like even Mr Abbott may be realising he’s on the wrong side of history. Here’s hoping my adopted country catches up with my country of birth.

Vive la revolution!