Cork city accepts Seanad abolition by narrow margin

Cork city and its environs has narrowly voted to accept the proposal to abolish the Seanad with just 88 votes separating both when the votes in both Cork South Central and Cork North Central are combined.

Cork North Central voted to abolish the Seanad by 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent with some 14,806 people supporting the Government proposal and 13,755 voting against it with a total valid poll of 28,919 out of an electorate of 74,928.

In Cork South Central, the No side claimed victory but by an equal narrow margin of 51.3 per cent to 48.7 per cent. Some 18,470 voted against abolition and 18,507 for abolition with a total valid poll of 37,977 out of an electorate of 90,662.

In Bishopstown in Cork South Central, support was almost evenly split across 49.48 per cent for Yes and 50.52 per cent for No in one box while a second box showed 56.42 per cent for abolition and 43.58 per cent for retention. Yet another box showed 49.01 per cent support for the Yes side and 50.99 per cent for the No side.

In Carrigaline, homebase of Fianna Fáil TD, Michael McGrath, there was a slight majority in favour of retention in two tallied boxes with one splitting 41.09 per cent Yes to 58.91 per cent No and another splitting 48.39 per cent Yes and 51.61pc again in favour of No.

Even in Ballinhassig in the rural part of the constituency, the vote was surprisingly close with one tallied box showing 52.41 per cent for abolition and 47.59 per cent for retention while in Passage West two tallied boxes split in different ways - 55.56 per cent and 44.44 per cent in favour of Yes and 44.21 per cent and 55.79 per cent for the No side.

All of the boxes have been opened in Cork North West, Cork South West and Cork East. Tally men indicate that the Yes vote is coming in at 55 per cent to 45 per cent in all three rural constituencies in the county.

Cork South West Labour TD, Michael McCarthy, who campaigned for a no vote said he was “heartened” by the figures coming through both locally and nationally.

“I am happy at the way it has gone. It is a victory for democracy whatever happens overall. People who were out on the ground were picking up on the fact that the no vote was stronger than predicted. The pollsters got it wrong.”