Irish abortion referendum - LIVE: Official result confirms overwhelming win for Yes vote as Ireland rejoices

Obstetricians' body calls for Yes vote

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which covers the UK and Ireland, has called for a Yes vote in the referendum to repeal the eighth amendment.

In a statement to the Irish Times, Prof Lesley Regan, president of the college, said, "women in the Republic of Ireland should be able to access abortion care services within their own country."

Join our Facebook group

The Independent is now running a Facebook group where we'll be discussing the eighth amendment, and all elements of the debate across the next few weeks.

So if you'd like to get involved, join the group, invite your friends, and share your views on the abortion referendum.

Men find their voice in the campaign

Recent days have seen a considerable push for Irish men to be more vocal in the abortion referendum. 

The push for a repeal of the 8th amendment has largely been spearheaded by women in the years leading up to this referendum, but it's obvious that supporters of a Yes vote must build a broad consensus on the issue if they hope to get the reform over the line.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar released a video yesterday on behalf of the government, showing several male ministers campaigning near St Stephen's Green in Dublin. It encourages men to take responsibility around an issue they may usually shy away from. 

The Taoiseach has used the hashtag #Men4Yes, which itself is picking up traction on Twitter, with men sharing not only their opinions, but stories about the women who have influenced their choice on the matter.

This morning, actor Cillian Murphy has appeared in a video from Joe.ie urging men to take an active role in the referendum.

President Higgins attacked 8th amendment back in 1983

As the current President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins remains neutral in political affairs, but his views on the 8th amendment were made clear at the time when it was added to the constitution in 1983.

Higgins, who was serving as Mayor of Galway at the time, criticised that vote as a "callous referendum" which showed "no concern for the thousands of women who begin a lonely journey on the boat to England."

The comments, published in the Irish Times in 1983, have reemerged on social media this week.

'Repeal the 8th' mural reappears in Dublin

A 'Repeal the 8th' mural has appeared in Dublin's Temple Bar today, days after it was removed from a charity building.

Onlookers watch as the original mural is painted over

The mural, by Irish street artist Maser, was removed from Project Arts Centre because the Charities Regulator said it amounted to 'political activity'.

'No' campaign makes gains in new poll

The latest poll for the abortion referendum published today shows a slight fall in support for the Yes side, with a slight rise in support for No.

The Irish Daily Mail/Ireland Thinks poll asked potential voters: 'If a referendum were held to repeal the Eighth Amendment that is to make abortion unrestricted during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, how would you vote?'  These were the responses:

Yes: 46% 

No: 31% 

Don't know: 16%

Refuse to say: 8%

This shows a slight rise in support for the No campaign, when compared with last weekend's Irish Times poll in which 47% of people said they would vote Yes, while 28% would vote No. 

It's notable that the question in today's poll has included the 12 week proposal set forth by the Irish government as their plan in the event of a Yes vote. The results also show women to be slightly more supportive of a repeal than men.

A history of Ireland's abortion referendums 

Next month won't be the first time that Ireland has gone to the polls specifically on the issue of abortion. Referendums are occasionally held in the country when an issue requires a change to the written Constitution of Ireland, first approved by the electorate in 1937.

Referendums were held in 1983, 1992 and 2002 concerning different elements of abortion. The results may provide some insight into the country's feelings on the issue, and what we may expect from the vote on 25 May.

1983: The 8th Amendment

This proposed that the constitution acknowledge "the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother." 

While abortion was already illegal under a law from 1861, pro-life campaigners sought to ensure that could not be changed. Voters were asked if they supported adding this article to the constitution, and after an notoriously divisive campaign, they did so with a huge majority.

Yes: 66.9%

No: 33.1%

This has effectively banned abortion ever since. The 2018 referendum concerns the repeal of this amendment, which would pave the way for government legislation on permitting abortion in certain circumstances.

1992: The 12th, 13th and 14th Amendments

Three proposals were put to the Irish people on one day in November 1992, concerning abortion.

The 12th amendment proposed that a pregnancy could be terminated in the case of a real threat to the life of the mother (but not in the case of a risk of suicide). For the first time in Irish history, every constituency returned a No vote on this article.

Yes: 34.65%

No: 65.35%

The 13th amendment stated that the prohibition of abortion "shall not limit freedom to travel between the State and another state" - effectively acknowledging that women could travel abroad for terminations. This article was passed.

Yes: 62.39%

No: 37.61%

The 14th amendment proposed that the prohibition of abortion would not prevent women from obtaining "information relating to services lawfully available in another state." This article was also passed.

Yes: 59.88%

No: 40.12%

2002: The 25th Amendment

This was a another attempt to strengthen the ban on abortion and to prevent the risk of suicide being accepted as grounds for an abortion - as a Supreme Court ruling had implied it could be, before the 1992 referendums. It also sought to introduce new penalties for anyone performing an abortion. It was narrowly rejected by the country.

Yes: 49.58%

No: 50.42%

2018: The 36th Amendment 

Next month's referendum would repeal the 8th amendment on the equal right to life, and the provisions added in 1992 concerning travel. Instead, this section of the constitution would be replaced with a new article:

"Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy"

Voters will be asked to vote Yes or No on whether they want to make this change.

Poll shows support for Repeal falls when 12 week limit is suggested

A new poll published today shows that while 53% of people want the 8th amendment repealed, that falls to 47% when the government's proposal of terminations up to 12 weeks is included.

The Red C poll, published today in the Sunday Business Post, shows that while 26% oppose repealing the 8th, this rises to 32% when the 12 week limit is introduced.

This is similar to the poll published in yesterday's Irish Daily Mail which included the 12 week proposal in the question, with 46% saying they would vote Yes and 31% saying they would vote No.

A graphic shared on Twitter by Dublin based analyst David Higgins compares the core support for a Yes vote in a few of Ireland's most recent referendums, and includes the present trajectory of the Repeal the 8th campaign.

It shows the Repeal the 8th campaign following a similar pattern to the campaign to legalise divorce in 1995, although the latter began with a higher lead. While the divorce campaign also sank below the 50% point (albeit at a later date), it just about pulled up to win with a 50.28% Yes vote in the end.

Polling so far would show that this referendum could go right down to the wire, and that the prospect of terminations up to 12 weeks is off-putting to some voters.

First TV debate in a weekend of discussion on the airwaves

The first TV debate of the referendum campaign happened on Friday night on The Late Late Show, Ireland's most watched programme, chaired by host Ryan Tubridy.

Dr Peter Boylan, keynote speaker for Together for Yes, made the point that abortion is already a reality in Ireland, with women going abroad for terminations, or importing abortion pills and taking matters into their own hands. He estimated this to be about 3,000 people a year.

Making the argument for No, broadcaster Wendy Grace warned that removing the constitutional ban would open the possibility of unrestricted abortion, and required voters putting their faith in politicians, who have varying ideas on how much abortion should be permitted.

The discussion then moved to the audience, and two women shared their experiences of the 8th amendment.

Tracey spoke of having to travel to Liverpool for the procedure, after learning that her child had a fatal foetal abnormality. She had to wait two weeks because the clinic was so full of Irish couples. Afterwards, she had to leave without the remains, which were then posted to her. She said, "I should have been looked at home", and said repealing the 8th would mean her baby Grace could rest in peace.

A second woman called Mary spoke of how she wanted to abort after an unplanned pregnancy in her late teens. A woman at work, who could not have children of her own, told her she was lucky, and encouraged her to go through with it. She also remarked on how seeing the child move during her first scan struck her. "I thought, this is not my body, this is not my choice, this is a child."

Both women were widely praised for their candor on social media.

Others were more critical of the points raised in the show.

You can watch the entire debate back from the 1 hour point of The Late Late Show on the RTE Player.

There were also powerful testimonies from both sides of the campaign on The Marian Finucane Show on RTE Radio 1 on Saturday morning.

A woman named Carmel told the story of how she and her husband travelled to London for a termination after being told at 21 weeks that her baby had a fatal foetal abnormality. She is supporting a Yes vote so that women like her, whose pregnancies are not viable, can get a termination, and appropriate medical care, within Ireland.

A second woman called Catriona then told of how she became pregnant at 18 while at school, and was contemplating an abortion until her mother persuaded her to change her mind. She got by, and now has four children with her husband. She is advocating for a No vote.

You can listen back to this segment of the show on the RTE Player.

Home To Vote campaign launched

One of the most remarkable memories most people have of the same sex marriage referendum in 2015 was the Home To Vote campaign. It encouraged people from the Irish diaspora around the world to come home and use their vote, to help deliver marriage equality.

On the day itself, the sight of large groups getting on ferries and planes to travel home - largely to vote Yes - was a moving image for many, and showed the solidarity of the Irish nation, with most travelling from the UK, but others coming from as far afield as the US and New Zealand.

Now, a campaign is urging people to do the same to Repeal the 8th on 25 May. A London based group have released this video, calling on citizens abroad to make the trip home on the day.

Th video says, "On the 25th of May we’re getting a once in a generation chance to make Ireland a fairer, safer place for women. Let’s do it together. Come home to vote yes to repeal the 8th Amendment."

If you think you might be eligible to vote in the referendum in Ireland on 25 May, find out at hometovote.com.