Voting patterns consistent across the country

PREDICTIONS of a major urban-rural divide or east-west split proved unfounded as the referendum results rolled in, with remarkable consistency in voting across the country.

Dublin unsurprisingly led the surge for a Yes vote, with all constituencies returning about 75pc of votes in favour of repeal.

In other urban areas, the ratio was closer to 65pc in favour, while rural counties saw about 60pc vote Yes.

Donegal was the only outlier, with a majority of 51.9pc voting No, repeating a trend that has been seen in eight of the past 10 referendums. However Roscommon, which was the only county to reject the samesex marriage proposals in 2015, this time voted Yes.

The redrawn constituency of Roscommon-Galway did back repeal by one of the lowest margins countrywide, at just over 57pc. This was similar to former Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s constituency in Mayo.

Sligo-Leitrim, Limerick County, Cavan-Monaghan, Longford-Westmeath, Offaly, Kerry and Tipperary were also below the 60pc mark.

But these results were nonetheless firmly in the Yes camp, and as the figures from rural areas began to pour in on Saturday, the scale of change since the 1983 referendum became apparent.

Back then, only parts of south Dublin opposed constitutional recognition of the equal right to life of the pregnant woman and the unborn.

This time around, those same constituencies in the capital led the charge towards Yes.

Almost three-quarters of voters in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s Dublin West constituency backed repealing the Eighth Amendment.

Mr Varadkar said the result around the country had been “resounding”.

The Yes vote peaked as high as 78pc in Dublin Bay South.

Dublin South Central is perhaps the most socially mixed of all constituencies in the capital, and returned a 74.79pc Yes vote.

Limerick is often seen as a signpost for how the rest of the country will vote, with a mix of urban and rural populations.

Almost 67pc in favour of repeal in the city closely matched many other urban areas.

Two political heavyweights in Cork South Central – Simon Coveney and Micheál Martin – worked towards a 68pc Yes vote.

Wexford also retained its reputation as a reliable national barometer, with a 68pc Yes vote.