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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2018/may/26/irish-abortion-referendum-result-count-begins-live
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| Irish abortion referendum: official results show big lead for yes – live | Irish abortion referendum: official results show big lead for yes – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| We’re still waiting on the final three constituencies: Cork East, Sligo-Leitrim, and Donegal, which observers are predicting may be the only one to back no. | |
| Peter Boylan, leading yes campaigner and chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, gets a hero’s welcome in Dublin Castle, with the crowd chanting “Peter, Peter, Peter”. | |
| Boylan came under fierce attack from some institute members when he claimed that the majority supported repeal, a claim he stood by earlier this month. | |
| Offered without comment: | |
| Minister for health Simon Harris seems to have won over a lot of young hearts and minds with this campaign #8thref pic.twitter.com/wg5FdFdo4g | |
| The 18-to-24 age group in Ireland has been strongly pro-repeal and many young people have contacted the Guardian. | |
| One of them, Olivia Malone, 18, a student from County Wexford, canvassed during her exams for the yes campaign: | |
| I graduated on Thursday, and was out with most of my year group till the early hours of the morning. I had a great time, but what worried me was whether my all girl’s school would drag themselves out to vote the next day. | |
| Yet on Friday morning I woke up to texts in the 6th Year group chat - the girls were all encouraging each other to vote. The youth involvement in this has been unlike any other election I’ve ever witnessed. I’m floating on cloud nine. | |
| I’m totally astonished by the massive landslide. The general feeling among strong yes campaigners recently was cautious hope, and I know most that I’ve talked to predicted a yes vote in the 50s, but this is beyond anything I can imagine. | |
| If you’d like to share your reaction, you can do so here. | |
| Dublin Bay South votes 78.49% yes, 21.51% no. | Dublin Bay South votes 78.49% yes, 21.51% no. |
| That leaves three constituencies still to declare. | That leaves three constituencies still to declare. |
| The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has just tweeted this picture of himself and the expectant crowd at Dublin Castle: | |
| Fantastic crowds at Dublin Castle. Remarkable day. A quiet revolution has taken place, a great act of democracy. pic.twitter.com/MLtzkSkdLw | Fantastic crowds at Dublin Castle. Remarkable day. A quiet revolution has taken place, a great act of democracy. pic.twitter.com/MLtzkSkdLw |
| The Irish comedian David O’Doherty is at Dublin castle for the announcement, reports Sinéad Baker. | The Irish comedian David O’Doherty is at Dublin castle for the announcement, reports Sinéad Baker. |
| He remembers growing up in an Ireland where most parts of the country voted against permitting divorce in 1995: | He remembers growing up in an Ireland where most parts of the country voted against permitting divorce in 1995: |
| I always thought there was two Irelands ... but that died yesterday. It died with marriage equality and then it really died yesterday. | |
| Cork South West is 64.51% yes, 35.49% no | Cork South West is 64.51% yes, 35.49% no |
| Dublin Mid-West 73.27% yes, 26.73% no | Dublin Mid-West 73.27% yes, 26.73% no |
| Kerry 58.27% yes, 41.73% no | Kerry 58.27% yes, 41.73% no |
| The crowd at Dublin Castle is cheering on the politicians that have been particularly active on the yes side of this campaign, including Leo Varadkar and health minister Simon Harris, says Sinéad Baker: | |
| Seven constituencies remain: Kerry, Sligo-Leitrim, Cork South-West, Cork East, Dublin Mid-West, Dublin Bay South and Donegal, which observers are suggesting might be the only one to vote against repealing the eighth amendment. | Seven constituencies remain: Kerry, Sligo-Leitrim, Cork South-West, Cork East, Dublin Mid-West, Dublin Bay South and Donegal, which observers are suggesting might be the only one to vote against repealing the eighth amendment. |
| I must be in the only count centre in Ireland where NO ONE is celebrating 🤦♀️ #Donegal #abortionreferendum #Letterkenny pic.twitter.com/fQL33jxQPo | I must be in the only count centre in Ireland where NO ONE is celebrating 🤦♀️ #Donegal #abortionreferendum #Letterkenny pic.twitter.com/fQL33jxQPo |
| With half a dozen constituencies left to declare, Ireland is turning purple: | With half a dozen constituencies left to declare, Ireland is turning purple: |
| This is quite a sight on historic day. pic.twitter.com/aMfaGUnqVR | This is quite a sight on historic day. pic.twitter.com/aMfaGUnqVR |
| More results: | More results: |
| Cavan-Monaghan 55.5% yes, 44.5% no | Cavan-Monaghan 55.5% yes, 44.5% no |
| Mayo 57.07% yes, 42.93% no | Mayo 57.07% yes, 42.93% no |
| And the Taoiseach has arrived at Dublin Castle, says RTE2’s man on the spot: | And the Taoiseach has arrived at Dublin Castle, says RTE2’s man on the spot: |
| Taoiseach Leo Varadkar arriving at Dublin Castle #8thRef pic.twitter.com/VOUHYQ27VW | Taoiseach Leo Varadkar arriving at Dublin Castle #8thRef pic.twitter.com/VOUHYQ27VW |
| Readers in Northern Ireland have been contacting the Guardian urging abortion reform there. Aoibhinn, who’s studying for A-levels in Belfast, says she’s relieved about the result in Ireland but feels isolated as a young woman in Northern Ireland: | Readers in Northern Ireland have been contacting the Guardian urging abortion reform there. Aoibhinn, who’s studying for A-levels in Belfast, says she’s relieved about the result in Ireland but feels isolated as a young woman in Northern Ireland: |
| We are now poised to be the only place within these islands without access to abortion. I hope with all my heart that the forces that campaigned to repeal the eighth will now lend us a hand in dragging our laws into the 21st century. | We are now poised to be the only place within these islands without access to abortion. I hope with all my heart that the forces that campaigned to repeal the eighth will now lend us a hand in dragging our laws into the 21st century. |
| Pete Doughty, a civil servant from Belfast, would like to see legislation change too: | Pete Doughty, a civil servant from Belfast, would like to see legislation change too: |
| Abortion is never, ever an easy option to choose ... I’ve seen friends of mine here in Northern Ireland having to take that decision – and then having to travel – alone, stressed, in comparative secrecy, and at great expense – to England and back, at the expense of their dignity and peace of mind. | Abortion is never, ever an easy option to choose ... I’ve seen friends of mine here in Northern Ireland having to take that decision – and then having to travel – alone, stressed, in comparative secrecy, and at great expense – to England and back, at the expense of their dignity and peace of mind. |
| Women in Northern Ireland have always been under the same pressure as Irish woman, but after this result they will now, tragically, stand alone. That can’t be allowed to continue. | Women in Northern Ireland have always been under the same pressure as Irish woman, but after this result they will now, tragically, stand alone. That can’t be allowed to continue. |
| Westminster must now step in and give Northern Irish women the right to be believed and trusted that our socially conservative politicians will always wish to deny them. | Westminster must now step in and give Northern Irish women the right to be believed and trusted that our socially conservative politicians will always wish to deny them. |
| If you’d like to share your reaction, you can do so here. | If you’d like to share your reaction, you can do so here. |
| Another couple of results, bringing us – according to RTÉ - up to 30 out of 40 constituencies: | Another couple of results, bringing us – according to RTÉ - up to 30 out of 40 constituencies: |
| Cork North-West 60.10% yes, 39.90% no | Cork North-West 60.10% yes, 39.90% no |
| Longford-Westmeath 58.27% yes, 41.73% no | Longford-Westmeath 58.27% yes, 41.73% no |
| Derek Mooney, a former Fianna Fáil government adviser, has an very interesting take on the scale of the yes vote and what lay behind it: | Derek Mooney, a former Fianna Fáil government adviser, has an very interesting take on the scale of the yes vote and what lay behind it: |
| The general assumption right up to the last week was that yes would win decisively, with a comfortable margin, leaving the no side in the low-40s nationally and tipping just over the 50% mark in the western, more rural constituencies. | The general assumption right up to the last week was that yes would win decisively, with a comfortable margin, leaving the no side in the low-40s nationally and tipping just over the 50% mark in the western, more rural constituencies. |
| Not for the first time the voters proved the pundits wrong. And the movement to yes happened long before the first posters hit the lampposts. Many traditional, middle-ground voters – including those who still see themselves as pro-life - decided some time back that it was time to take the issue of abortion out of the Irish constitution. | Not for the first time the voters proved the pundits wrong. And the movement to yes happened long before the first posters hit the lampposts. Many traditional, middle-ground voters – including those who still see themselves as pro-life - decided some time back that it was time to take the issue of abortion out of the Irish constitution. |
| This referendum was about nuance, and Irish voters showed that they get nuance. So do voters in most countries. They know that very few issues are simply black or white. | This referendum was about nuance, and Irish voters showed that they get nuance. So do voters in most countries. They know that very few issues are simply black or white. |
| Many voters, including those who had real qualms about some aspects of what the government proposes in its legislation, accepted the nuances and complexities, considered them and – on balance – accepted the case for repeal. | Many voters, including those who had real qualms about some aspects of what the government proposes in its legislation, accepted the nuances and complexities, considered them and – on balance – accepted the case for repeal. |
| This is the seismic change that has happened in Ireland today. In a world that seems destined to rush to this or that easy populist position, Irish voters took the time to inform themselves. They listened to the expert opinions from all sides and weighed the arguments. | This is the seismic change that has happened in Ireland today. In a world that seems destined to rush to this or that easy populist position, Irish voters took the time to inform themselves. They listened to the expert opinions from all sides and weighed the arguments. |
| The political system afforded them that opportunity by having a long pre-campaign period where arguments, for and against, were calmly made. If only the Brexit referendum had been handled so calmly and sensibly. | The political system afforded them that opportunity by having a long pre-campaign period where arguments, for and against, were calmly made. If only the Brexit referendum had been handled so calmly and sensibly. |