Both sides of the Australian marriage equality debate are vowing to step up their efforts, with early counting suggesting a historic win for the "Yes" campaign in Ireland's gay marriage referendum.
Leading "No" campaigners in the heavily Catholic country had begun to concede defeat on Saturday shortly after counting began in 43 constituencies.
Rodney Croome, national convener of Australian Marriage Equality, said the result would empower Australian supporters of gay marriage to step up their efforts.
"If there was ever any doubt that marriage equality was inevitable in Australia, the Irish vote has removed it," he said.
"The questions is not if but when.
Legalising gay marriage would be a seismic change in Ireland, where homosexuality was illegal until 1993 and where abortion remains prohibited except where the mother's life is in danger.
Mr Croome predicted Australians will feel deeply embarrassed to have fallen behind the traditionally conservative Catholic country.
"Australia's political leaders have no more excuses for dragging the chain," he said.
But Lyle Shelton, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, called the likely result a "wake-up call" that would spur his group's campaign against same-sex marriage in Australia.
"We're not giving up on this," he said.
"Well step up our campaigning and we'll be doing all we can to persuade Australian parliamentarians to very cafe fully think of the consequences of redefining marriage and family, and what that means for kids."
"If you redefine marriage, you have to agree that a mother and a father doesn't matter to a child," he said.
"It doesn't mean that same-sex relationships aren't valid relationships, but they're not the same thing as a marriage."
Mr Croome said children need love and stability.
"For the children of same-sex couples, that comes from having married parents."
A referendum was required in Ireland because marriage is defined in the country's constitution as being between a man and a woman.
In Australia, any change could be achieved through legislation.
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