Colin Farrell Blasts Catholic Church's Opposition to Gay Marriage in Ireland

— -- Colin Farrell says the Catholic Church got it wrong when it criticized the recent decision by voters in Ireland to legalize gay marriage.

"It was really funny because one of the arguments when the vote went through was that the church came out and said, 'You know, this was a dark day for Ireland,' and all you could see was literally rainbows everywhere, posters of rainbows, T-shirts of rainbows, men and women hugging, men and men hugging, women and women hugging, and yet cut to, 'This is a dark day in the history of [Ireland],'" the Irish actor, 39, told E! News this weekend.

"A dark day in the history of a country is internal civil conflict and war and bloodshed," the father of two added. "It was a great day."

Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by a popular vote on May 22. Afterward, the Vatican's secretary of state called the Irish vote a "defeat for humanity."

Farrell, who has a gay brother, has been an outspoken advocate of LGBT rights.

Before the vote, his brother, Eamonn, had to leave Ireland to legally marry his husband, Steven.

"I was a bit concerned about him; he put himself on the line greatly for a cause that he believes in and a message that he wanted to see brought to the point of being a constitutional change," the "True Detective" star told E! about his brother. "I'm sure he will be married [in Ireland] within the next year. He got married in Vancouver seven or eight years ago to his husband, but I think it's time he'll enjoy a home-grown celebration."