Entertainment

One Day in May dramatises Ireland's marriage equality referendum

Jane Hardy speaks to Dr Noel Sharkey, the Donegal-born medic whose experiences of homophobic prejudice helped inspire Colin Murphy's new drama documentary play One Day In May

Dr Noel Sharkey, whose personal story partly inspired Colin Murphy's new play One Day In May. Picture by Mal McCann
Dr Noel Sharkey, whose personal story partly inspired Colin Murphy's new play One Day In May. Picture by Mal McCann Dr Noel Sharkey, whose personal story partly inspired Colin Murphy's new play One Day In May. Picture by Mal McCann

SOMETIMES you can make a drama out of a crisis. In the case of One Day in May, the new drama-documentary about the marriage equality referendum in Ireland coming to the Lyric Theatre on April 11, it was essential.

That's according to Dr Noel Sharkey, who shared his own experiences of homophobic prejudice in the book One Day In May by RTE journalist Charlie Bird, which inspired Colin Murphy's play of the same name.

In Loaf cafe near his workplace at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Noel (31) explains: "It's about justice. The referendum involved a lot of people putting their personal lives on the line. It was challenging, like putting your heart on your sleeve in front of the whole nation, but it was something I felt I had to do."

Now a junior doctor, Noel admits to a slight ambivalence which was trumped by his campaigning zeal. He naturally wears his NHS ID card on a rainbow ribbon round his neck.

A leader of the Love Equality campaign in his home county, Donegal, Noel initially shared his experience on radio stations such as Ocean FM and wrote articles in regional papers like the Donegal Democrat.

Although he now says his experience wasn't the most traumatic among gay men, he experienced constant bullying at secondary school in the Gaeltacht.

"I went to Scoil Naomh Duigh and although I had amazing friends, I was the victim of bullying. Other students called me 'sissy' a lot and I always felt awkward around the 'have you got a girlfriend?' conversation.

"Studying was my escape route but you never get away from the hurt. I wondered if there was a future for me in Donegal."

Now with his partner Kevin Brown (40), an academic lawyer, Noel describes his life in Belfast as happy. But when Charlie Bird put out a call for people to interview during the marriage equality campaign, the Donegal doctor didn't hesitate.

"It was like a second coming out really," he tells me.

"The first time, I phoned family members who reacted very positively. I had known I was gay from the age of about 11, but waited 10 years to tell people. You never get away from that."

Noel explains that he's pleased that his mother, Kathleen, also wanted to share her feelings.

"She is in the book. My mother is very religious and goes to Mass every day but she says that God has made all her children equal."

Noel, the eldest of six ("four boys, two girls") had a younger brother, James, who was also gay. He reveals that the success of the referendum was forever marked by the fact his young brother died by suicide at the age of 22.

"He was a chef with ambitions to travel the world but had been subject to homophobia and a homophobic assault. When it happened, though, our community was very supportive."

The boys had an uncle, Anthony, who had died in similar circumstances in his forties.

Noel adds: "We've been through tough times as a family and my mother says she wished things had been different, but things have changed."

Colin Murphy's emotional drama-documentary aims to confirm the progress that has clearly been made and fund-raise for the Love Equality campaign in Northern Ireland.

As Noel points out, we are the only place in Britain and Ireland which does not bestow the universal right to get married – and this would be easy to rectify:

"We don't need a referendum, our politicians can put it right."

Although he and his partner have no immediate plans to marry, this is an important equality issue.

"We've gone through the 'Mr and Mrs Sharkey' thing at hotels. But when someone comes to A&E and you're asked if the partner can attend, that's one thing.

"If it's the married husband, it's different, there is more status."

Brought up in a working class Irish community, Noel is now a keen theatre-goer who enjoys the work of dramatist Brian Friel.

"I'm a doctor and like the theatre, so will have to live with that working class guilt," he explains.

"It's interesting that although everybody said the working class voters would need more persuading, it was the middle class vote that remained ideological."

"[Friel] says important things in Ballybeg. I really enjoyed Fire Below, for example, at the Lyric a few months ago. It described northern Irish society perfectly."

Theatre can subtly, and not so subtly, influence people: the new drama-documentary of One Day in May features a marvellous shouted chorus – "We don't want lesser, we want equal!".

Celebrities who have come out also help the cause.

"Ian McKellen, yes, so Gandalf is gay," says Noel.

"That may not be so surprising and it's important that other spheres like sport are open to everyone."

Dr Noel Sharkey ends with total fairness: "It's incorrectly assumed Northern Ireland has backward attitudes – but that only applies to the politicians here."

:: One Day In May, April 11, The Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Tickets via Lyrictheatre.co.uk