It looks as if Ireland is ready to ditch its last remnants of anti-gay prejudice with the country's first government minister coming out as gay and polls showing 76% support for a May referendum to amend the constitution to allow same-sex marriages.
Health Minister Leo Varadkar's announcement that he was gay on 18 January came hot on the heels of an opinion poll showing that 81% of women and 72% of men supported marriage for same-sex couples in the predominantly Catholic country.
The poll commissioned by national broadcaster RTE for the Radio 1 Today programme was evidence of "the enormous repository of goodwill amongst voters in Ireland towards full equality for same sex couples," according to Director of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties Mark Kelly.
The minister for health has felt that goodwill with people being "nice and supportive" in response to his announcement. Although the most senior of political figures to have come out, Varadkhar joins governing Fine Gael member of parliament Jerry Buttimer who made public his sexuality in 2012.
Labour Members of Parliament John Lyons and Dominic Hannigan were openly gay before becoming members of the Irish parliament, the Dail.
Even more indicative of the cultural change in climate is the coming out of Gaelic Athletic Association star, Donal Og Cusack, who made his name in the national game of hurling, perceived as very much a he-man sport.
"Coming out in Ireland is still a significant, political act because of our cultural background and heritage," says Grainne Healy, Chairwoman of Marriage Equality, an organisation campaigning for marriage parity for same sex couples in Ireland.
"It is significant especially for young people to see the minister coming out and to know that they are living in a country where we can expect to be treated equally."
"For rights groups, the hope is that eventually it will be unremarkable that a minister is gay."
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