Up to 5,000 people joined a rally to call for full marriage equality in Dublin, Ireland, yesterday.

The rally was organised by equality group LGBT Noise, which are campaigning against government proposals to introduce civil partnerships.

"This is not just a gay rights issue ? it is a human rights issue," said march organiser Noelle Moran, speaking before Sunday's event.

"The right to marry is enshrined in Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but gay people in Ireland are currently denied that right."

The march began at City Hall and ended at the Department of Justice where the crowds heard former Equality Authority director Niall Crowley call the move towards civil partnerships a "backlash" for equality.

He added that civil partnerships would do nothing for equality and that tolerance alone was not acceptable as it was frequently accompanied by contempt.