A group promoting ‘polyamory’, whereby people are in a sexual relationship with more than one person and all parties to the relationship know this has been set up in Ireland.

The group, Polyamory Ireland, has set up a website which describes itself as “an informal discussion/support group for anyone interested in creative, respectful, loving, inclusive alternatives to society’s dominant (exclusive / monogamous) relationship paradigm”.

The group hosts meetings where polyamory is talked about “frankly and openly”.

The website asks: “Tired of jealousy and mistrust in your romantic relationships? It doesn’t have to be that way – there is more than enough love to go around!”

It adds: “You don’t have to give up loving one person in order to love someone else.”

In other countries, those in polyamorous relationships are seeking marriage-like rights from the State.

In the US, advocates for marriage-like rights for polyamorous arrangements such as Lee Stranahan argue that there are no arguments that can be made “against a poly-marriage that wouldn’t work just as well as an argument against gay marriage”. Initially they are seeking such rights as hospital visitation of a sick partner.

The Irish group also has a Facebook page, which refers to “[p]olyamory groups all around the world challenging culturally-based assumptions that monogamy is the only acceptable relationship structure”.

It adds: “This community exists to give those many people who are interested a safe, fun, respectful way a place to talk about the philosophy and practice of polyamory.”

(See this link for an earlier blog on the subject.)