Politics

Louth result: 66.5% vote to remove Eighth Amendment

Louth TD Imelda Munster says it is an historic day for Irish women and for Ireland

Rejected votes are seen at the RDS during the abortion referendum count. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times

Elaine Keogh
Sat May 26 2018 - 18:34

The Yes side secured 66.5 per cent of the vote in Louth while the No campaign got 33.5 per cent.

The narrowest win for the Yes was the single box in Sheelagh where they had a margin of 4 votes.

The lowest turnout of 35.5 percent was in a box in the Redeemer Family Resource Centre, Dundalk while the highest, 91 per cent, was in a box in Bettystown, East Meath.

The only female TD in Louth, Imelda Munster, believes young voters swung it for the Yes campaign.

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The ‘wee county’ voted two-to-one in favour of repealing the 8th amendment and there were many young voters, male and female, at the count centre in Dundalk as the 179 boxes were opened.

Deputy Munster said, "I think the young people helped to change the minds of mothers and grandmothers. It is an historic day for Irish women and for Ireland, " she added.

Fine Gael's Peter Fitzpatrick andFianna Fáil's Declan Breathnach both campaigned for a No vote.

Deputy Fitzpatrick, said: “I thought it would be an awful lot closer. I thought we would be very close to a No vote. The people of Ireland have spoken, we have to respect the people of Ireland.”

“Leo and Simon have given a commitment there will be no such thing as abortion on demand, I will be there to make sure that does not happen. I do trust women and I do believe in life and I voted No to protect the unborn.”

Deputy Breathnach said: “It is an emphatic win for the Yes campaign. This is democracy in action,” and added, “I am sure there will be considerable debate around the 12 weeks (access). I will not support 12 weeks unrestricted access.”

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