IT was nothing more momentous than the slight sound of a pen scratching paper. There was no fanfare, no wake and not so much as a quiver from the foundations of the State.
a small, quiet room containing the Divisional Court yesterday afternoon, the divorce referendum certificate was signed by three judges and the court registrar.
The paperwork would have been signed six months ago had Des Hanafin not filed his High Court challenge. Since then the five page certificate had been kept by High Court registrar Christy Hogarty, because of the challenge. Had it succeeded, the window of opportunity would have slammed shut on the fingers of all concerned.
The world has moved on since then. Two of the three judges, Mr Justice Murphy and Mr Justice Lynch, have gone on to the Supreme Court.
There were no catcalls from the public gallery of "Ye wife swapping sodomites!". There was no public in the gallery. The anti divorce campaign did not come to see the final nail driven in.
The fight was over, and this was just the last loose end. Mr Justice Murphy told the court he was formally returning the certificate to the returning officer, Mr Tim Sexton. And it was decided this should be done in open court.
The State Solicitor said Mr Sexton's assistant would accept the document. But Mr Justice Murphy was not having that.
"The registrar will give it to Mr Sexton himself," he said sternly, as if an assistant might let it slip through a crack in the floorboards and we would have to do it all over again.
A smiling Mr Sexton solemnly took the five pieces of paper and added them to his bundle. Two minutes into the court sitting it was all done and dusted.
