A new campaign is calling on recent Irish emigrants to return home to vote yes in the forthcoming same sex marriage referendum.

The Irish government has confirmed a referendum will take place on Friday 22^nd of May, with voters asked to decide whether the constitution should allow for marriage between two people “without distinction to their sex.”

Get The Boat 2 Vote is a campaign that encourages vote-eligible Irish emigrants to travel home and help see the referendum passed.

The campaign was started by London-based Irishman Joey Kavanagh, in the absence of a postal vote for Irish emigrants overseas.

So far, almost 200 people have signed up to the Get The Boat 2 Vote campaign, with people planning on travelling from mainland Europe, Canada and Australia to cast their votes on May 22nd.

Speaking of the idea behind the campaign, Kavanagh said: “It's inconvenient to have to travel all the way home to vote, so I set up the Get The Boat 2 Vote website in the hope that those tempted to make the journey could join forces and make it a more cost effective and enjoyable experience.”

“A lot of the Irish people I've met in London have expressed a desire to move back to Ireland when the right opportunity presents itself, so I think it’s worth the effort to travel home and be able to have a say in the country’s future,” Kavanagh added.

Under Irish law, citizens living abroad retain their right to vote in elections and referenda for 18 months after leaving Ireland, provided they intend to return to live here within that timeframe.

Irish citizens living abroad for more than 18 months cannot legally vote in the referendum, but may still be on the voting register. Groups such as We’re Coming Back and Irish in Britain have been campaigning for voting rights for Irish emigrants.

“It's a shame that so many Irish young people who've emigrated in recent years will be excluded on account of a lack of voting rights for overseas Irish citizens,” Kavanagh said. “Here in the UK, for instance, British citizens can register as an overseas voter for up to 15 years after leaving the country.”