Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IT’S BEEN TRULY historic day for Ireland.
The country voted clearly and decisively to repeal the Eighth Amendment.
It’s a huge win for those who campaigned against it and celebrations have already begun.
Here are the details for you to pour over:
Hello, Rónán Duffy here for the afternoon.
I won’t tease you with any preamble as we have a result coming in from Dublin Central…
The result is from Dublin Central and it’s a Yes, a big one.
The constituency has gone for Yes by a margin of greater than 3:1.
The Irish Times has spoken to the parents of Savita Halappanavar, who came out this week in favour of repeal.
They’ve said that would like the legislation giving effect to the referendum result to be named ‘Savita’s law’.
Savita’s father Andanappa Yalagi said:
I want to thank you so much. I want to say ‘Thank you’ to our brothers and sisters in Ireland for voting Yes. It is very important. There has been really a lot, too much struggle for the Irish ladies.
He and his wife, Akhmedevi have said they are were “very good” and awaiting the final result.
“We are really, really happy. We have one last request, that the new law, that it is called ‘Savita’s law’. It should be named for her.”
Two more results for you now, both from Cork and both Yes.
If you’re looking for your own constituency, we have all of the declared counts in one place:
Our reporter Daragh Brophy is in the Roscommon count centre and sent us this:
MEP Luke Ming Flanagan, who’s been speaking to me at the count centre in Roscommon Town, has described it as an “absolutely fantastic day”.
The Roscommon-Galway constituency has been the focus of some intense media coverage in recent weeks. The (now-defunct) constituency of Roscommon-South Leitrim was the only area to vote No to same-sex marriage three years ago.
Together for Yes campaigners are in jubilant form here this afternoon, and say the result is the culmination of months of hard work.
“It shows we’re not conservative we’re just complicated,” Flanagan said.
It’s strange to say about someone who is already Health Minister, but Simon Harris has in some ways burst into the mainstream political stage during the campaign.
He’s been getting a good reaction as people begin to gather in Dublin Castle.
Termination for Medical Reasons reflect on what has been a very long battle.
Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly is wearing her Repeal t-shirt on RTÉ. She said the result made her think of her parents:
When I saw the exit poll last night I thought first about my parents. They campaigned against the Eighth Amendment in 1983. They said it was going to hurt women and they were right.
“I’m not shocked at the results as it was a reflection of what we were hearing on the doors.”
“I think when people saw people like Peter Boylan coming out and saying that the Eighth stopped us doing our jobs, people heard that very clearly.”
Speaking after O’Reilly, No campaigner and Independent TD Mattie McGrath said: “The people have spoken and I accept the will of the people. ”
He said that No voters, and their concerns, will have to be listened to.
He said that he expected Yes side to win but that’d it be a “bit tighter” in the result.
“Things have certainly changed since 1983,” McGrath added
We did tell you earlier that Simon Harris has been cheered pillar to post in Dublin Castle…
We have a result coming in from Wexford. Here it is:
In the marriage equality referendum, Roscommon-South Leitrim was the only constituency to vote No.
This time around, it’s tight, but Donegal may be the only constituency to vote to retain the Eighth Amendment.
The latest tallies show a 52% voting No in the referendum, although an official result has yet to be declared.
Speaking to Ocean FM, Minister of State Joe McHugh said:
It’s very interesting, there’s no natural urban-rural divide in the county… my own parish voted yes. You have no trend. It’s just really, really tight here.
However, the Donegal constituency does not cover the whole of the county.
The Sligo-Leitrim constituency contains part of south Donegal, including Bundoran and Ballyshannon, which voted heavily in favour of repeal with a Yes vote in excess of 60%.
Together for Yes obstetrician Mary Higgins have been giving her reaction in a Dublin Castle that has swelled with numbers.
“People listened to the stories and they took on the facts and the evidence and they believed it,” she said.
We have to give it the due respect, people are talking about about relief but for clinicians we feel a responsibility. In medicine, in midwifery and among doctors we have to do this properly.
Asked what it means for her she says:
“It means I can go to sleep and back to work on Monday and tell someone with a fatal foetal abnormality and say it will be different in the future.”
Three more more results for you, Wicklow and Carlow-Kilkenny and Waterford.
This is the state of play with eight constituencies in.
‘Up the Déise!’
One of the biggest cheers of the day greeting a 69% Yes vote in Waterford.
As part of RTÉ’s exit poll, people were asked what way they’d vote if there was a general election tomorrow.
It makes for fascinating reading
Prime Time’s David McCullough warns that the massive ‘don’t know’ vote skews the figures, but it’s fair to say that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will happy.
Four more constituency results for you.
Former Labour Joan Burton has been giving her reaction
“It means that the Dáíl and the Seanad have the authority of the people to deal with the issue and help women in crisis pregnancies and stop the situations we know of, and all the sad, sad stories that helped make people make up their minds.”
What I detected in Dublin West was that it would be a minimum of 60-40 in favour. Meeting men in the doorstep with tears in their eyes saying there was someone in their family who’d had a fatal foetal abnormality.
“I think as the knowledge grew, people’s natural compassion grew and that translated into a Yes vote.”
“Horrific posters of bloody foetuses. So many mothers would say to me ‘can you take those pictures away from the school’. I thought those photos were very callous. I think any woman who ever had a miscarriage… I think it was deeply offensive to most women.”
Similar sentiments from current Labour leader Brendan Howlin who says legislation must now be passed in the Dáil.
“We need to afford it time and scrutinise it closely of course. But the general direction of travel is now established. We have our mandate from the people. Before we face them again as individual public representative and candidates this work should be done.”
Scenes in Dublin Castle this afternoon.
Pollster Kevin Cunningham of Ireland Thinks says that the exit poll results show that, while the Yes vote was strong among young people, it wasn’t the decisive factor.
Older age groups would also have passed the referendum.
Three more results now: Offaly, Tipperary and Dublin North West
Jess Casey of the Limerick Leader with a video from the Limerick count after the county votes big for repeal.
More emotion, this time from Dublin.
Workers’ Party councillor Éilis Ryan became emotional as she spoke about the result:
“The single biggest reason people voted yes because they belived women have a right to choose.”
International pro-life groups have been giving their reaction to Ireland’s historic decision today.
Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, the world’s largest annual pro-life rally, said:
“We are deeply saddened to learn that many Irish people voted against love and life by repealing the Eighth Amendment. Americans know from experience that there will be many grave and irreversible consequences to this decision, including the loss of precious lives.”
“A study released this week shows that legalising abortion greatly increases the number of children whose lives are terminated in the womb. Though they are the first, unborn children are not the only victims; abortion harms mothers too. “
The master of the National Maternity Hospital Rhona Mahony was a key person in this debate.
She delivered expert evidence at the Oireachtas Committee and has been campaigning to remove the Eighth Amendment for a number of years.
“It’s a very emotional day and I think it’s a very emotional day for all the women who have travelled or taken a tablet and have been excluded from our health system,” she says.
Mahony says that although many personal stories have been told publicly “there were also many stories told over kitchen tables and over glasses of wine”.
“We talk about 1983 and it was divisive but this has been a calm and informed debate,” she added.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie‘s Céimin Burke at the Galway West count centre, No campaigner and Fianna Fáil deputy Eamon Ó Cúiv admitted he has been “on the wrong side of referenda before”.
“I think the result is overwhelming clear and we obviously have to reflect on that now,” he said.
Asked about the impact of the result on him personally, he continued:
It doesn’t seem to affect things on the ground. There’s interesting precedent of that from the past… what happens in a referendum doesn’t seem to have any impact on general elections. If you ask me if I am quaking in my shoes that my seat’s gone then not particularly.
“The other thing is this, if you take a five-seater, I presume 30% in Galway West voted on the no side – that’s two quotas.”
However, he does not think we’ll be heading for the polls again this year.
“My understanding of the election timescale has always been that we’ll certainly see out this year. Micheál Martin has made it absolutely clear that there won’t be any election this year – he’s not calling an election.”
Do I think it’s going to last long next year? No, I don’t but I don’t think this will affect one way or another. Let’s be honest about it, all the big parties were in unanimous, well, all the leaders of the big parties were in unanimous vote.
“Well in Fianna Fáil, this issue is just a personal issue. Back to business in the other business tomorrow and we’ll just get on with things.”
Dr Peter Boylan was also speaking to reporters in the RDS count centre.
“Everybody’s gone into this with open eyes. They know what the legislation proposed is so I think politicians from all parties can take it that the legislation outlined by Government is what the will of the people is.”
My experience over the years in talking to women, particularly older women, was that they were ready for this change and it wasn’t just the issue of abortion, it was the way women had been treated by this state over the years.
“We all know the litany of abuse that women and children have suffered so I think it was part of the sequence of redress for all of the wrongs over the years.”
“Everybody’s views need to be respected. I think that came out particularly in stories about fatal foetal abnormality. A lot of those couples choose to continue on with pregnancy and they are looked after with all the compassion and care that we weren’t able to give to women who had to travel who chose not to go through to end of pregnancy but to deliver their much loved babies early and they kept momentos and so on.”
“Of course, we have sympathy and empathy with the people who voted not and they voted out of genuine concerns. Nobody has to have an abortion if they don’t want it and their views will be respected.”
More emotional reaction from Dublin Castle, this time from campaigner Frank Crummy.
Results time again, six quick hits here.
[image alt="GALWAY WEST" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2018/05/galway-west-3-500x500.png" width="500" height="500" wp-size="size-large" credit-url="" credit-source="" credit-via="" credit-via-url="" caption="" title="" wp-id="wp-image-4036892" class="alignleft" /end]
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris have arrived at Dublin Castle.
Varadkar is due to make a formal statement following the formal declaration of the result.
The declaration could come in the next hour or so as there are just 10 of 40 constituencies yet to declare.
There was debate about whether the courtyard in Dublin Castle would even be open to the public today.
It was opened. And it’s now almost full to capacity.
Meanwhile, Donegal is going down to the wire…
Our reporter Christina Finn is in Dublin Castle and she reports that while it is filling up, there are issues with microphones on the podium:
The atmosphere here in Dublin Castle is electric. There were thoughts that celebratory scenes would be muted but that is clearly not the case. The courtyard looks almost full to capacity and the cheers continue.
It’s clear from the reaction of the crowd to Health Minister Simon Harris that campaigners believe he is owed thanks for the result – one woman holds up an ‘I fancy Simon Harris’ poster.
The plans to not install a TV and mic system has angered some people in the crowd, who tell me the authorities should have expected such a reaction.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald gives her reaction to the result:
“I know even people who had a reservation or were uneasy or are alarmed today, I just want to say that this was another step forward in a more open tolerant Ireland for all of us.”
“I was out yesterday getting the vote out and I met a woman with her kids and she said it best: ‘Today I feel like Ireland is mine again’.”
“It says that all those voices that had been silenced, all those people who felt like they couldn’t speak out now can.”
“And now we are in a mature way, in a fair way, accepting the realities of Irish life. We have work today, we have legislation now to get through and I’ve every confidence that we will.”
Here are some more results, there are just three remaining now.
[image alt="MYO" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2018/05/myo-500x500.png" width="500" height="500" wp-size="size-large" credit-url="" credit-source="" credit-via="" credit-via-url="" caption="" title="" wp-id="wp-image-4036962" class="alignleft" /end]
Some more images as Dublin Castle waits for the final result.
Trying my best not to miss out on any result as they all come in, here’s one you haven’t got yet.
It’s Dublin Bay South and the biggest Yes vote in the country, with just three remaining.
It will likely stay that way too.
Cavan-Monaghan has gone Yes too.
Ever since the exit poll last night, many abortion rights campaigners have been saying that their next target is to bring Northern Ireland’s laws in line with Britain, and now Ireland.
A sign reading ’The North is next’ was being waved in the crowd in Dublin Castle and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill are now making that promise.
An important update here Cork’s Red FM:
The speculation is that the result is being held so that it can by the announced as part of the official final declaration.
Just over three years after they celebrated the passing of the marriage equality referendum in the same Dublin Castle square, Katherine Zappone, now a minister, and Leo Varadkar, now Taoiseach, share a moment together.
Ireland’s new heartthrob Simon Harris has been getting a lot of love recently, particularly since his performance in this week’s debate.
And that love has come to a head in Dublin Castle today.
Late arrival to the party
More love coming from the stage in Dublin Castle. This time for Dr. Peter Boylan.
Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodhá is there and she says that it’s looking like rain. We’ve been waiting a while for the official result, it would want to happen soon.
Ever wonder what goes on behind the camera? Our Facebook Live from Dublin Castle is being brought to you by Nicky Ryan and Gráinne Ní Aodha, who’s doing a great job as camera woman.
It’s getting a bit crazy down in Dublin Castle, a dog is there to witness history and people are loving it.
There’s a woman in Dublin Castle literally handing out After Eight’s. *Applause emoji*
Total poll: 2,159,655
Invalid votes: 6042
Total poll: 2,153,613
In favour: 1,429,981
Against: 723, 632
Majority in favour: 706,349
IRELAND HAS REPEALED THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT!
This is the final result.
Mopping up the other results. It’s been confirmed that Donegal was the only constituency in the country to vote against repeal.
Donegal voted by 2,42 votes to retain the Eighth Amendment.
‘YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES.’
Crowds chant at the final result in Dublin Castle.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is speaking following the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. He promises to pass legislation by the end of the year.
Today is an historic day for Ireland. A quiet revolution has taken place, and a great act of democracy. A hundred years since women got the right to vote.
Today, we as a people have spoken. And we say that we trust women and we respect women and their decisions. For me it is also the day when we said No More. No more doctors telling their patients there is nothing that can be done for them in their own country. No more lonely journeys across the Irish Sea. No more stigma. The veil of secrecy is lifted.
No more isolation. The burden of shame is gone. When we went to the polls yesterday, some voted yes with enthusiasm and pride, but many others in sorrowful acceptance, with heavy hearts.
The ‘X’ marked on the ballot paper represented so much more than an individual vote. In 1983, 841,000 people voted to insert the eighth amendment into our constitution.
In 2018, almost every county, every constituency, men and women, all social classes, almost all age groups. We are not a divided country. The result is resounding.
This gives us the mandate we need to bring forward legislation and secure its passage by the end of the year.
Varadkar says that Ireland’s democracy is “vibrant and robust”:
We voted for the 200,000 Irish women who have travelled to Britain since 1983 to end their pregnancies. For the couples who shared their stories of returning home with tiny coffins. For the young and the not so young women, who spoke their truth. For those whose stories have still not been heard. I said in recent days that this was a once in a generation vote.
Today I believe we have voted for the next generation. We have voted to look reality in the eye and we did not blink. We have voted to provide compassion where there was once a cold shoulder, and to offer medical care where once we turned a blind eye.
At the beginning of this campaign I called for a respectful debate, one that was never angry or personalised. I think that by and large we succeeded. Our democracy is vibrant and robust and can survive divisive debates and make difficult decisions.
A LANDSLIDE
“Unexpected. Shocking. Overwhelming. Flabbergasting. A silent Yes vote,” are the words of TheJournal.ie‘s News Editor Sinead O’Carroll.
She’s put together a summary of how the 40 constituencies voted and points out that fourteen constituencies returned Yes votes of over 70%.
We mentioned earlier that campaigners were looking towards Northern Ireland as the next goal.
The Alliance Party’s Naomi Long told the BBC that she agreed, “all eyes will focus on Northern Ireland – we are again a place apart”, she said.
Long added that NI will continue to export people abroad, away from their families, at a time when they need that support more than ever
This was the view from the stage at Dublin Castle as the crowd reacted to the Yes result being announced.
Some perspective on the Donegal result from Sinn Féin Senator Padraig MacLochlainn.
Doctors for Choice Ireland (DfC) has welcomed the overwhelming result of a Yes vote in the referendum on the Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution. Dr Mary Favier, co-founder and spokesperson for DfC said:
“After years of witnessing the harms of the Eighth Amendment and campaigning to have it removed, we are delighted to see this momentous result for Ireland and Irish women.”
“A Yes result may go some way to repair the hurt and suffering the Eighth Amendment has caused for the estimated 170,000 Irish women and girls that have had to travel for abortions since 1980, and the uncountable number who have taken illegal medication abortion pills bought online; women who the state abandoned: legally, morally and when they most needed healthcare.”
The Irish College of General Practitioners has says that is “welcomes the clarity” brought about the result. The GP group says that it “awaits the passing of amending legislation for the management of crisis pregnancy.”
With all the votes in, it’s been confirmed that the turnout for yesterday’s referendum surpassed that of the same-sex marriage referendum.
Voter turnout was 64.13%, greater than the 61% turnout for 2015.
On the fly, I’ve put together some analysis of Ireland’s vote: Six reasons why Ireland was a landslide Yes for repeal
Campaigners have been seeking the removal of the amendment for many years and there have been several fateful events that brought the issue into the national consciousness.
In recent years pressure to repeal has been building, culminating in today’s result.
But why is it that people voted in such numbers repeal?
Here are Six reasons why Ireland was a landslide Yes for repeal
Well, that was really something. It was a truly incredible day for Irish democracy and I hope we helped you experience and understand it all.
I’m logging off now but my colleague Michelle Hennessy is going to keep going with some more reaction to the result.
Thank you all and goodbye,
Rónán.
Have you checked how your constituency voted? You’ll find all the results here.
People have been drawn to this mural of Savita over the last couple of days. There are emotional scenes there right now:
That’s not ideal…
Sky News’ Kay Burley wasn’t too happy with the Taoiseach moving in on her turf:
Our reporter Aoife Barry spent the day at the RDS in Dublin. She has described the atmosphere there and the emotion of those who gathered for the result:
As they stood in the RDS count hall on Saturday afternoon, surrounded by campaigners and reporters, you could almost hear them exhale after weeks of pent-up nerves. For Amy Walsh, whose baby daughter Rose was stillborn at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, the results were a “huge relief”.
She and the other parents who spoke were not just thinking of themselves – they were thinking of the other parents who would be given FFA diagnoses in the future, a future where legislation would allow them to decide what they want to do, to make a choice that, should it include termination, would not have to involve travelling far from home.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
On behalf of the women and girls I care about, I just want to thank Together For Yes and everyone else who put in their time and effort and fought a positive, compassionate and honest campaign, and of course our #HomeToVote heroes…
You were AMAZING!
@The Risen: you demolished every argument the no side posted here, fair play
@Fracko: but breaking the shackles of a callous church is
@Jeanette McDonald: yep. The crook has just fallen off the end of the crozier.
@Fracko: Nobody is celebrating abortion, it’s a terrible thing. But life isn’t always sunshine and lollipops, hard choices need to be made. These choices were still being made whether you like it not, just behind closed doors and in a dangerous way. That’s what we’re celebrating, the right to make a choice, without having to export Irish women.
@The Risen:
Seriously, he spent 24 hours a day here posting the same comment ad nauseum. The only people he convinced of anything were of the same mindset.
@Jeanette McDonald….why do liberals always have to get a dig in on the catholic church….the Bible hasn’t changed in thousands of years. Whether you believe in God or not is your own decision at the end of the day. The sins of fallible men and women should in no way lessen a person’s faith in God. What these evil priests and nuns did is completely an anathema to the message of love that Jesus preached. Just as aborting a healthy human being is. Today is officially the day that we can say Catholic Ireland is dead and gone. And anyone who voted yes and still proclaims themselves as a christian is deluding themselves. The hard cases could have been legislated for as it has been in other countries. I pity the poor doctors who have the unenviable task of murdering these innocent little human beings.
@The Risen:
The destruction of Human life in Utero is not something to celebrate. Life is precious.
@Jeanette McDonald: @Jeanette McDonald….why do liberals always have to get a dig in on the catholic church….the Bible hasn’t changed in thousands of years. Whether you believe in God or not is your own decision at the end of the day. The sins of fallible men and women should in no way lessen a person’s faith in God. What these evil priests and nuns did is completely an anathema to the message of love that Jesus preached. Just as aborting a healthy human being is. Today is officially the day that we can say Catholic Ireland is dead and gone. And anyone who voted yes and still proclaims themselves as a christian is deluding themselves. The hard cases could have been legislated for as it has been in other countries. I pity the poor doctors who have the unenviable task of murdering these innocent, healthy little human beings.
@Jack McGready: aka the vast majority.
@The Risen: You’re just a beacon of choice and liberty. Kill me now
@Fracko: The right to choice is.
@Jack McGready: And you’ve spent the last 16 hours so posting the same comment to anyone who praises him.
@Sean Farrell: don’t pity the doctors, the obstetrics. This is a get out of jail free card. They are no longer obliged to deliver a living baby. As long as the mother is alive that’s them off the hook. Most campaigned very vocally to have the right to life of the unborn removed from constitution. Happy days for them now. I would imagine a doctor preforming an abortion in exceptional circumstances to save a life or for psychiatric reasons will have a clear conscience (as it should be).
@Pajo Mata: absolutely untrue. Medical negligence will still be a thing. Campaign is over, you can stop lying now.
@Pajo Mata: Another small minded comment from another anonymous fantasist. Yawn.
@The Risen: can you not take a break.
@Dave O Keeffe: did the people just remove the right to life of the unborn or not?
@Pajo Mata: such crap !
@The Risen: compassionate murder? Wow. How you all are any better than Hitler?! You better hope there is no God.
@monika: There is none.
@Billy Heffernan: He’s a Zayn in the arse
@Pajo Mata: You might have got more votes if you focused on the right to life of the woman. Our sisters, mothers, nieces, daughters, friends and workmates. Instead you kept talking about imaginary foetuses that nobody knows.
@Jeanette McDonald: 74% of voters were Catholic. Please thank members of the RC church for delivering a yes vote.
@monika: Says the anonymous coward
@The Risen: fair play to you pal. Your dedication is appreciated. I applaud you
@John McQuaid:
Countless scholars, mathematicians and philosophers, great minds over the last few millennia, over different ages state that there is some form of creator… Then we have you with “There is none” lol, human degeneracy right there.
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: My name is Monika, for me it sounds like a name don’t you think so? Or you are that stupid?Coward? At least I can rise my child in spite of life obstacles and not murder it because I’m in “crisis” or ashamed and like many of you, to protect your reputation sneak to UK to murder a child. So who is the real coward?
@Pajo Mata: the unborn can’t sue moron. It’s the parents that would take the action for loss and damages due to negligence. You really are thick
@Fracko: I agree but the right to choose definitely is
So now about those schools…
@Seth Cheffetz:
… and hospitals, and getting the reparation payment money, removing blasphemy law and maybe de-criminalising assisted suicide to allow the infirm to chose the timing and conditions of their exit.
@Seth Cheffetz:
For sure we now need to vote on euthanasia, assisted suicide and the death sentence.
@Lily: first 2 I would vote for
@Lily: and the legalisation of cannibis
@Lily: yes because discriminating against children based on if they had a magic man sprinkle magic water on them is definitely something we should support…
@Seth Cheffetz: I’d vote for the 1st two. Who are you to tell me I can’t end my life if that’s my wish?
@Seth Cheffetz: Something went wrong there! That was for @Lily
@Seth Cheffetz: I’ll take all of the above and a border poll too thanks, heading in the right direction for a Reunified Ireland.
@Incognito: They can keep that dive above. We couldn’t police that war zone if we wanted to.
@Seth Cheffetz: Yeah. Tell me this though, if the nipper wakes at 3 in the morning, and I pray to Jesus she goes back to sleep, am I still an atheist?
@Seth Cheffetz: Those first two would be fantastic.
@Seth Cheffetz: and lets get the crime of blasphemy out too.
@Stephen McManus: 74% of voters were Catholic. You should be thanking RC church members.
No speakers now on rte1 saying process rigged and playing the victim unbelievable
@bmul: Wondered how long that would take. Which of them was it? Sherlock? Mullen? Ascough?
@Ciara Baines: lol I saw that, the No side are so salty in defeat. The bit I am really enjoying about all this is not only will we have abortion but the No side will be paying for it from their taxes.
@Ciara Baines: Mattie . After months if warninhs about what the vote would mean the no side are now attacking there planned legislation to change having said that couldn’t be done .
@bmul: His constituency voted YES! I’d say his mood has worsened quite a bit :)
@Ciara Baines: Mattie’s political career is about to be aborted hopefully.
@bmul: I can just about understand how some Tipperary people vote for Mattie, but how can graduates vote Mullen back onto the Seanad repeatedly? Are those votes counted in public or do the Knights of Colombanus run that election?
@Squiddley Diddley: Mullen will not be elected again in Galway Grass Roots already planning his retirement
@bmul: Can you explain why he still has that seat. Are Galway graduates that conservative?
@Squiddley Diddley: I no many graduates but very few bother to vote but I no plenty that will be voting next time
@bmul: The West’s Awake! Thanks
@bmul: sounds like the No aftermath of the CB debate.
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: What a nasty comment. Yes side won but stop celebrating the loss of life.
Now will all the TD’s and Senators who continue to say they will not support this legislation, even though their constituents support it, kindly step down or resign from office. You are out of touch and don’t represent the voters .
@Brian Smith: well two-thirds of them anyway, call it voluntary redundancy first to see what happens.
@Brian Smith: All the No vote conspiracy theorists were right when they spoke about Brexit and Trump, you can’t trust the polls, it was a LAAAANDSLIDE!
@Brian Smith: do TD’s and Senators not have a right to a personal decision, whether it deemed right or wrong. Are they not citizens also.
@Rory: They are public representatives- there is a clue in the title.
And regulate foreign funded & fanatical religious lobby posing as an Institute. The only cure they are working on is removing as much human rights as possible.
It’s time for supporters of the No campaign, like myself, to accept the result and move on to making our island a better place. The people have spoken.
@Daniel Donovan: well said
@Daniel Donovan: this result is making Ireland a better country
@Daniel Donovan: Agree Daniel but it’s so sad that anyone is celebrating this result. Respect will not go amiss!
Well i love all my children imperfections and all, never thought i,d see the day women celebrating the killing of Innocent Healthy sons and daughters. YOU have all been brainwashed into thinking having any more than 2 children is a negative, Very sad day
@Elvis Polkasalad: nobody is celebrating that. We’re still aware that many women are still going to face difficult choices. What we’re celebrating is that at least we’ll have given them a few more options in making those choices.
@Elvis Polkasalad: Liberals will hail this as being progressive. Read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and compare it to what is happening today and you will see that humans as a species have regressed thousands of years. Real progress would be no more killing, income equality, no homelessness, no corruption….etc. The only comfort I take from all this is that what is taking place today was forecast in the book of Revelations. Let each person wrestle with their own conscience. And if you believe it’s all a big fairy story that’s well and good. Just don’t belittle and demean others for their beliefs.
@Sean Farrell: is that story in the fuction section of my local book shop ?
@bmul: And on cue the pathetic, belittling atheist wanders by.
@Elvis Polkasalad: Don’t you mean celebrating women being allowed decide what to do with their own bodies?
@Elvis Polkasalad: shouldn’t you be working on lobbying the government for the legislation you want instead of whinging?
@Dave O Keeffe:
Lobbying is a new concept for the No side. They ain’t holding the cards anymore and the bad news for them is they’ve burned every bridge in the country.
@Elvis Polkasalad: you misunderstand what we are celebrating. We are celebrating the fact that no teenage girl in a crisis pregnancy needs to worry about how to travel abroad or where to seek advice and help, we are celebrating that a woman with cancer who becomes pregnant has the choice to get the best possible care in her own country, we are celebrating because unfortunately, there is such a thing a fatal foetal abnormality and now the parents can choose whether to carry to term or end their own and their expectant babies suffering, we are celebrating that no more women have to die because of the 8th. We are celebrating dignity and respect. The only purpose the 8th served was to punish and control us. Put yourself in our shoes. RIP Savita, we will never forget you.
@nicky vera Will healthy women abort healthy unborn children? how many recorded deaths of pregnant women have there been because of the 8th
@Elvis Polkasalad: i will have had no role in the killing of Innocent Healthy unborn sons or daughters when they are killed and flushed into the sewers, can you say the same? When you voted yes you voted to the killing of HEALTHY unborn children, Shame on you . HEALTHY pregnant women aborting Healthy sons and daughters .
@Elvis Polkasalad: well last year alone I think there were thousands of traumatized women travelling abroad because they couldn’t get what is essentially basic health care in Ireland.
@Elvis Polkasalad: one is too many! Also, I trust women to do what is best for them. I voted yes to give people a choice they do not have here. Do you really, seriously think that nearly 70% of the population believe in murder? Abortion is not murder and stop shaming women – we are equal to you not less than!
@Elvis Polkasalad: yes i do believe that 70 % believe in murder of innocent unborn children , what do you call it when a perfectly healthy unborn life is taking delibratly. Will perfectly healthy unborn children be killed?
@Elvis Polkasalad: NickyVera….keep telling yourself that. According to the Oxford dictionary, abortion is technically murder. “the premeditated killing of one human being by another”. Is a developing foetus at 12 weeks a human being? Absolutely. Is abortion premeditated? Absolutely. Therefore, abortion is murder. Ok, I have deliberately left out the word unlawful in the definition of murder, but just because it’s signed into law because a liberal majority think it’s ok to slaughter innocent, defenceless human beings in their mothers womb, that doesn’t make it any less reprehensible.
@Kendra Jackson: the little lives who will perish will never have a choice, they don’t even have a right to life. Our cats now have more rights.
@Sean O Fearghaille: That’s not what the Oxford dictionary says unless you twist the definition to suit your agenda.
Hi Sean ; i pity your cats..
@Seán Ó Fearghaille: no it isn’t, I’m perfectly capable of checking the oxford definition and that’s not what it says.
@Sean…that’s not what it says.
Weird things I’ve seen people on the No side ”twist”: Beethoven’s mother, dictionary definitions, ferry pricing. Just check a wiki or something….
It’s the right result in a horribly fought referendum. Let’s hope the government can put in place the right way to go about this
@Tommy D: and make a push for contraception to be made available to all
While the result might be the right one for the country it is by no means a cause for jovial celebration. This is an important day for Ireland and a serious one, but there should be no partying as a result of it.
@Dublin Rover: of course it is reason to celebrate, the Irish people have just told the Catholic Church to shove their dogma up their hole
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: this has nothing to do with the church. If your problem is with deities do u think the devil or god is happier about unrestricted abortion…
@Mags Murphy: sorry to see you lost Mags, your Church is no longer relevant. The people have spoken so it’s time to suck it up
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: most intelligent peoplr voted yes to allow women choice, that argument i can understand if not agree on. A few like yourself voted yes, to punish the church for hurting innocent children, by voting yes to abort/hurt innocent children. If it was only.about the church why did many atheists vote yes. Cop yourself on!!
@Mags Murphy: Can I lick your salty tears Magz
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: No atheists or agnostics voted no ?
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: people didn’t vote yes so that the could stick it the church .I doubt there was many who even thought about the Catholic church while making their decision ..except for some elderly people maybe .
@Mags Murphy: it’s everything to do with the Catholic Church and if your God was so worried about children dying wouldn’t God do something about all the children dying in poverty and from starvation
Fair enough to be satisfied with the result but is it really appropriate to be jumping up and down and cheering? It’s very distasteful. A lot of people voted yes with a heavy heart believing it was the only way to help the hard cases. This is a serious issue and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s not a reason for a party.
@Newto2016: Will the YES side accept the result :) Have they just said abortion is illegal after 12 weeks? considering this has been flouted it might actually be an improvement after all.
hopefully euthanasia next and a drug policy like portugal. Liberation all the way, why stop now, Go Ireland!
@Sean Thornton: we also need to work on getting the church out of our schools and hospitals
Sure they can now paint the streets red, literally!
Just wonder what history will make of this day in 100/200/300 years time.
@Lily: just curious. How many children in foster care have you taken in?
@Lily: sorry you’ve lost your grip of sticking your nose in other peoples lives, you’d have done well running the magdalen laundry’s
@Lily: At least your posts today are a change from you telling us about your amazing life and how great a mother you are. Pleasant break.
@Ciara Baines: oh yes. I feel I could write her biography and I have never even met her
Very big margin in Dublin Central
@Mr_Tuxedo: plenty of teen pregnancies there. Darndale and other working class areas likewise.
@El Diego: actually if you bothered to check the statistics you would know that teenage pregnancy is at an all time low
@Michael Walsh: yes indeed, thanks to the legalisation of contraception and proper sex education in the schools, both measures opposed by the likes of the Iona Institute and their pals
Heartbroken today I really am. I really thought the advances in sonogram technology would have made a difference as to how people look at abortion, it’s so easy to see that the fetus is a living, moving baby. But I guess people would rather close their eyes to reality so long as they get to virtue signal about how progressive they are, and have unprotected sex with no consequences.
@A Curious Mind: couples ate still going to use protection because of the risk of unwanted pregnancy . Nobody wants to have to go through an abortion .
@A Curious Mind: can you go back now pls to whatever country you’re really from, and stop bothering us with your fake twitter account?
@A Curious Mind: eh no they would rather, their Mother’s, sister’s, aunt’s, niece’s, friends etc have proper safe health care in pregnancy in their own country
We will need to update our psychiatric services now that we have a yes vote.
@Peg kilmurray: there’s no such thing as mental illness according to your spokesman Ronan Mullen.
Great stuff Ireland. So glad I got home to vote in this. With recent elections in both the US, UK and others showing an older electorate pushing their countries agenda it’s amazing to see the youth of Ireland energised and forging ahead driving the country into the light.
@Eddie Hekenui: a lot of us oldies are fighting hard too:)
@Eddie Hekenui: And fair play to you. Sorry if that came across me as putting down oldies. Just love seeing young people energised, voting and having their say. Too often young people don’t get involved. A country is a better place when it’s a true representation of it’s population. Young, old, men, women and of all points of view.
A great day for women’s rights, a great day for the people of Modern Ireland!
Proud to be Irish!!!
Journal Staff, can you not stick up a graphic for how the country is voting as a whole in numbers.
That’s some spot on Leo’s head
Jack.
You mean the 70% of us.
If they are the ones you are talking about, count me in!!!!!!
Fab atmosphere here in Dublin castle. Great mix of people as well.
Religious nutters and backward culchies seething
@Jonny: Even the culchies are voting Yes.. Even feckin Roscommon are onside.
I have worked with, school with, friends with people whom some I care for very much but the vast majority had very hard life’s either living with a parent whom really never bonded with or loved them, or where adopted by people whom did it for the wrong reasons,
They ended up with so many problems drugs, drink, abuse etc…
Yes there good and bad in all walks ,
But the vast majority of no people would call these children bas ters ect… Would treat them badly because there mother/father made a mistake.
So many by religion or family are forced to keep / to give to addoption or made marry a man.
All because of a imagery person in the sky or because of keeping up with the Jones, a woman is forced to live her life because of people’s ideas is wrong for both.
Sometimes you have to scarfice a life for another life to be lived.
If God were true he would want equal love and happiness.
My final prediction is 66.6% yes. That will drive the godly folk mental!!
Question: why a liveblog if there is another page that has the results earlier?
@Cathal o’Lughaidh: The earlier one was the tallies
Simon Harris milking it for all it’s worth.
Vomit.
@Jack McGready: I would not be surprise if you’re talking about our future Taoiseach there…
@Jack McGready: Simon Harris has every right to be proud of his efforts during this campaign. Stop being so bitter.
@Jack McGready: simon Harris should be resigning not celebrating. He botched the cervical cancer scandal which has harmed women. He and Leo should both be stepping down not patting themselves on the back for a job well done.
Sad day. Made all the sadder with the disgraceful whooping and cheering. Legalised abortion – the killing of another human being, is not something to celebrate. I wonder how quickly some people who voted yes today will come to regret that decision
I know it’s a great day for many people but don’t let this distract ye that the country is still in shambles and imploding due to the government being totally incompetent at there jobs..hope this doesn’t give them another term cause they jumped on the yes bus.hospitals,homeless,taxes,insurance..scandal after scandal.
@Craig Clancy: cop on , there’s some things not great but this country is far from falling apart
Allahu akbar
Now can we address the housing and rental debacle
That’s great get your flags out sing a few songs have a few drinks to celebrate the killing and not giving a chance to tens of thousands of lives.As time goes by you will realize your immature decision
This is not going to help Women’s Health one iota. The current state of the health service in this country. The mess Harris and Co are making with health in general. How many thousands of extra specialist jobs must be created to cope? The expected avalanche of abortion procedures and requests, palliative care etc… will happen in the very near future. This on top of an already heavily burdened health service. Seems people have a very short memory when it comes to remembering how bad a job the government is doing at running the health service.
After yesterdays vote, It’s good that women finally have a choice and I welcome it. But not in a way that makes me want to sing and dance, as was shown today in Dublin Castle. It turns my gut when I stop to think and realize, that the vast vast majority of abortions carried out will be purely the result of lifestyle choices and not on real medical grounds. I believe the voters of Ireland have been hoodwinked by political leaders and liberal media into thinking the only solution to the problem of women’s health during pregnancy should also include the termination of perfectly healthy baby’s.
I have compassion for the hard cases, for the 2% of pregnancy’s that will now result in abortion due to fetal abnormality. Or the less than 1% due to rape or incest etc…, the less than 1% to save the mothers life, the 1% for the sake of the already born children. And indeed I have sympathy for the women who have suffered multiple miscarriage’s and had to make a choice of Yes or No in the form of a capital X. What about the rest? So it was with a heavy heart that I voted NO.
Simply put, our government choose to give us the cheapest option to vote on. Not the best. We got the all encompassing kill’em all option or nothing. A chance was taken with the ensuing hysteria from both sides, politicians changed their mind’s to get on the side of the popular votes and the other political parties and liberal media followed suit. Now the government have full control on how abortion will be performed in this country. No longer will they have to hoodwink the public regarding this issue, and no doubt, like they do with all other health matters, they’ll make a total shambles of it. Dare I say it, we handed it to them, blood stained silver platter and all.
@David OShea: well said , its a sad day
Let’s get this party started. DJ Brid Smith on the decks. First song up €19.99 AD.
@El Diego: lame
I’m so proud of our little country. Yes for same marriage for everyone and now a yes for our women. I’m a little bit prouder today to be Irish. Yes for our women and yes for choice. Not everyone need a to be forced into the choice I made when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
Why are they waiting until after the national announcement until they release the results from the last 3 constituencies? #repealthe8th
have your say