A campaigner for the No side in the abortion referendum says they will now be working to ensure abortion is both rare and restricted in this country.
It’s after today’s landslide result in favour of repeal of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution.
According to final tally figures, Sligo Town and county voted by 61.1% to 38.5% in favour of repeal.
Leitrim voted by 54.6% to 44.9% in favour, West Cavan by 54% to 45.4% and South Donegal by 63.6% to 35.8%.
That the Yes side won was not a surprise; but the scale of the victory was.
Sheila Quinlan said she was saddened and disappointed.
Although the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail were in favour of repeal, none of the party’s TDs in Sligo/Leitrim took that stance.
The only TD in the constituency to support repeal was Sinn Fein’s Martin Kenny.
And he says that, contrary to expectations, the YES vote was not confined to urban areas:
After today’s vote in favour of repeal of the 8th, attention now turns to whatever legislation will be introduced to regulate abortion in this country.
And, as Sheila Quinlan points out, that will now become the focus for anti-abortion campaigners.
And, to come, there will also be the political fallout, particularly for Fianna Fail
