Ireland says No! A brief history of poll defeats

THOUGH referendum defeats rarely mortally wound a government they are not precisely good for the health. And they can sometimes be fatal. We list some below:

REFERENDUM DEFEATS 1959 DE VALERA ATTEMPTS TO END PR

In 1959, Éamon de Valera opted for a referendum on ending proportional representation. Fears amongst the voters over the long-term dominance of Fianna Fáil meant the electorate chose to retain PR by 51.8% to 48.2%. Seán Lemass tried for a rerun in 1968 but it was rejected, this time by a margin of 61% to 39%.

1986 GARRET’S CRUSADE

Divorce was the key element of Garret FitzGerald’s constitutional crusade. Though the Yes side started in front concerns about the land and succession resulted in a resounding defeat by 63.5% to 36.5%.

ABORTION 1992 AND 2002

Albert Reynolds in 1992 and Bertie Ahern in 2002 put forward referendums on the vexed question of the possibility of suicide as grounds for legal abortion. They were defeated by a combination of those who, on both occasions, felt the proposals were either too liberal or too conservative with the results being 65.4% No in 1992 and 50.4% No in 2002.

2001 AND 2008 EUROPEAN WOES

Defeats in EU referendums were a feature of the new millennium. In 2001, Nice got a 53.9% No, and Lisbon in 2008 got a 53.4%

In both cases the Government was, unlike our UK friends over Brexit, wise enough to give the public a second chance to keep the European money rolling in and the public were wise enough to accept it.

2011 POWERS FOR DÁIL COMMITTEES

It seemed a good idea back then to give improved powers to Dáil committees. But 53.3% of the voters said No.

2013 SEANAD SURVIVES

The Government tried and failed to abolish a house that often barely knows it exists. The result signaled the real end of the Kenny honeymoon as much to the Seanad’s astonishment 51.7% of the electorate voted against their abolition.

2015 YOU CAN’T COME IN HERE: YOU’RE UNDER 35

Voters sink a foolish proposal to reduce the age bar for running for presidency from 35 to 21. The mood was that it simply wasn’t worth voting for as 73.1% of the voters said No. It represented the biggest ever referendum defeat until Friday’s bombshells.