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LAST UPDATE | 24 May 2019
TURNOUT WAS LOW this morning as the Irish public went to cast their vote in the European and local elections, and the referendum on divorce – but picked up a bit in the evening as people returned from work.
Voters in Limerick, Waterford and Cork city are also voting to decide on whether or not they will have directly elected mayors.
Polling stations opened at 7am and will remain open until 10pm tonight.
The majority of voters will receive three ballot papers when they arrive at their polling station. If you want to see what they’ll look like before you go in, you’ll find them here.
Figures from each of Ireland’s three European constituencies show that turnout remains low across the country.
RTÉ reported that turnout in Dublin stood at between 2.4% and 9% by lunchtime; this had increased to 17%-50% by 9pm.
The Turnout in Cavan was around 8-9% according to RTÉ, 12-14% in Monaghan, 8%-18% in Louth, 8%-9% in Meath, and up to 17% in Limerick.
Stronger figures are being reported in Ireland South and Midlands North West, which are showing turnouts ranging from 30s to the mid-50s. Turnouts are reported to be highest in the west of the country.
Up to 30% of the electorate in Clare had turned out to vote by 6pm, and voting stations were “starting to get very busy”, according to Clare FM.
Meanwhile, Galway has quite a high turnout of between 40% to 54%. Sligo has seen a voter turnout or between 53% to 55%.
In Donegal, turnout was between 35% to 51% by 9pm, (it had been at 15% at lunchtime).
Turnout in Kerry had been quite low, averaging 28%. Local news sources also reported a similar uptake in figures in Kilkenny (from 19% to up to 55%).
Voting has been quite high in Waterford (up to 44%), Wexford (up to 56%) and Wicklow (between 46% and 49%).
By comparison, last year’s presidential election saw a national turnout of just over 56%, while the figure for the referendum on the 8th amendment last May was over 64%.
However, turnout for the local and European elections is traditionally lower, dropping to 51% in 2014.
Today’s figure will also increase significantly after 5pm, when voters cast their ballots after they finish work.
An exit poll on the results of the European and local elections and the divorce referendum is expected before midnight.
RTÉ and TG4 will announce the result of their Red C exit poll, and the results will be read by David McCullagh and Páidí Ó Lionaird live on The Late Late Show tonight.
Ballot boxes will be opened at 9am tomorrow and results will begin to emerge across the country tomorrow, continuing into Sunday, but it may be early next week before the final results are all confirmed.
With reporting from Michelle Hennessy and Gráinne Ní Aodha.
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They bared their boobs and sang a song for feck sake, they didn’t set off a bomb or kill anybody, state condoned religious overkill!
They didn’t get their boobs out.
My bad, no boobs, mores the pity I love boobs!
Judging by your profile pic Phillip….you are still using boobs as god intended!
Femen bared their boobs, not Pussy Riot.
Almost two years served, not bad. They’ll think twice before they do this again and one of them has small kids. They should count themselves lucky they didn’t decide to perform their protest inside a mosque, they probably wouldn’t be alive now….
Why would someone red thumb the truth? More limited intellect on this forum than anything else. Someone’s PC emotions impacted by my roughness?
Thankfully the history of our planet is littered with people who had had enough oppression and stood up for what they believed in! If everyone took your approach we’d have a very repressed society!
Let’s see if they’ll perform more protests in the name of “art”.
Probably should have got 10 or 20 lashes thrown in for good measure, what do you think Larry.
@Larry L’oiseau. If they did it in a Catholic church in Spain pre 1977 (death of Franco) in Argentina or Chile mid seventies to mid eighties, or in a baptist Church in Louisiana or Alabama to this very day they would have received much heavier sentences, in the case of Argentina, they would probably have joined the ranks of the disappeared. So why do you specifically mention a mosque. All religious fundamentalists/fanatics are as narrow minded and potentially dangerous as each other. Imagine doing it in a synagogue in Jerusalem.?
John, in Larry’s defence, a mosque is the modern-day version of the examples you mentioned. Perhaps in 30 years, they too will have moved into the modern world and there’ll be an alternative religion promoting extremism – perhaps Scientology?
This was nothing to do with religion. They insulted Larry’s friend, Vlad the impaler. In a civilised society they would have received a caution.
@Larry
Why you surprised re red thumbs. You seem to condone Putins actions in jailing 3 girls for what they did.
Whether you agree or not with their prank it most definitely did not warrant a jailing
I wish we had more like them.
@Larry Bird you are 100% right.
Larry Bird is away with the birds.
@aunty. You could describe Larry Bird, and yourself for that matter, as far right, ultra right or plain old full of shite, but seldom as 100% right.
I feel that their action was sacrilegious. They may not have realised how the Russian cathedral had meaning for the worshipping people, but for their impertinence they paid a price. In western countries it appears that anything goes, and a rap on the knuckles is the nature of the justice system. I for one feel that churches and places of worship should be respected, and not hooliganised by those who have an ax to grind about society.
That’s exactly how the wider Russian population felt too according to polls at the time Harry. {Though the veracity of such polls should be questioned as the Russian media is hardly transparent}.
If it was how they felt about it, we should keep that in mind rather than imposing our own ideals.
Putin is clearly on a PR drive in the run up to the winter olympics. Now if he would only repeal his anti gay laws …….
Putin and his anti gay laws. The lady doth protest too much methinks.
@Gerbeen
Oh ? Please explain
That he may be like the Scottish bishop who was anti gay in public but not in private! Do as I say not do as I do type.
Gerbreen
Fair comment and quite possibly true
He does like to ride horses with his top off. Definately protesting too much.
Wouldn’t be too worried about the horses. Or maybe.
Putrid’s PR team must be really dumb if they think these brave ladies will shut up and put up now.
Brave would be doing one of their stunts in a Chechen mosque.
Why would they do that? They don’t live in Chechnya and Islam doesn’t enjoy statutory endorsement where they are.
That would make absolutely no sense whatsoever. It’s as though people have Muslims on the brain or something.
They protested in a Russian Orthodox church because they’re Russian Orthodox. Bit like Irish Catholics making Father Ted. It’s up to Muslims to protest in a mosque.
Should have thrown away the key, vermin the lot of them
Who are vermin Enda women or protestors ? Possibly both ?
Aww what’s wrong Enda? Don’t like a bit of free speech? Perhaps you don’t like anyone who protests? Or maybe just attractive women threaten you..
I do like a good protest and I do like police beating sense into protestors also- it’s great fun cracking heads of idiots
Comradely regards to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. Here is a great exchange of letters between her (while in prison) and Slavoj Zizek:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/15/pussy-riot-nadezhda-tolokonnikova-slavoj-zizek
I see a pardons for rubles scandal abrewing. Oh wait no Putin just displaying classic dictator traits to make him look compassionate. “I pardon you”
Lets hope they learned some manners
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