Irish Marriage Referendum result:

IRISH REFERENDUM VOTES
MARRIAGE EQUALITY FOR
ALL CITIZENS WITH LARGE
MAJORITY:

Thousands travel home
to register vote:

Largest ever turnout
for Irish referendum: 

Dublin vote over 70%
for change: 

In an unprecedented vote in a national referendum both in turnout and decisive decision, the Irish electorate voted overwhelmingly to support marriage equality for all citizens regardless of gender and historically, became the first country in the world to do so.

Among the unique features of this referendum, transport operators reported overflow numbers as an estimated 50,000 Irish citizens travelled home from all continents to record their vote in the referendum. Passenger ferries from Britain were crowded on Wednesday and Thursday as large numbers returned home. Dublin Airport reported record numbers as large groups block-booked air flights to the Irish Capital.

The Official Result was announced at 18.55 pm today at Dublin Castle, the historic 12th Century location of Irish government where power was handed over by the British Empire to the newly established Irish Free State in 1921. The Castle now hosts foreign visits by Heads of State and also is the location of Presidential Inaugurations of Presidents of the modern Irish Republic.

Official Result of Irish marriage referendum.

Enthusiastic YES supporters at Dublin Castle today.

The scene at Dublin Castle today as thousands await the Official Declaration of the referendum result.

The YES campaign was supported by all Parties in the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann, with some dissenting individual members, and a large number of voluntary organisations supporting the amendment, focussing on the equality issue as the basis of their campaign.

The NO side was supported officially by the Roman Catholic Church citing religious dogma but with less resonance than ever among the Irish electorate, traditionally Catholic and conservative on social issues. Other NO campaigners, mostly Catholic oriented, raised serious issues on the aftermath of the amendment if passed and the legislation required to implement a positive result which the Government has failed to address as they have done in recent referenda. 

These issues will reappear in the politics of this country as we approach the next General Election in 2016, including the illegal actions of the Government in recent referenda as condemned in the High Court in 2012/13 and outstanding illegalities from the two LisbonTreaty referenda in 2009/10. (See previous articles on this).

Scottish Premier, Nicola Sturgeon, was the first foreign leader to send her congratulations to the Irish voters: