Woman proposes to girlfriend in public after landmark ruling

UK:  This is the heart-warming moment a woman proposed to her partner just minutes after Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage.

Love-struck Billie, 41, from Limerick, got down on one knee and asked 26-year-old Kate Stoica to marry her, as an overwhelmed crowd looked on.

She told her fiancée: "Kate we make a great team.

"I love you inside and out, head to toe I don't want to waste another minute of my life without you as my wife."

After saying yes, Ms Stoica told the Irish Examiner: "I’m very overwhelmed right now and slightly mortified."

Ireland passed the same-sex marriage referendum by 1,201,607 votes to 734,300, with 62.1% voting Yes and to 37.9% voting No.

Speaking afterwards, Billie told reporters: "I'd been planning this with my friends, but only for the past four days.

"I didn't want to ask if it was going to be a No result, so I came today not knowing if I was going to be able to say it or not.

"But I bought the ring and my friends helped and it looks like it is going to be a Yes so I thought I would ask while I could."

The referendum saw a turnout of 60.5%.