DUBLIN: Ireland voted by a landslide to ditch its strict abortion laws in a landmark referendum hailed by Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Saturday as a “quiet revolution”, triggering scenes of jubilation in Dublin.

Final results showed more than 66 per cent of voters in what has been a traditionally staunchly Catholic country backed repealing the constitutional ban on terminations.

Hugging, celebrating, singing and cheering wildly, thousands crammed into the courtyard of Dublin Castle, where the official result was declared, chanting “Yes! Yes! Yes!” “Wonderful, wonderful, today is wonderful!” said Eileen Shields, wearing a sticker reading “We made history”.

She said she was ostracised by her friends and the Church when she got pregnant outside of marriage as a teenager 46 years ago. “I’m here because I’m 65 and in 1972 Ireland wasn’t a nice place to be when you were 18 and pregnant and on your own,” she said.

Wearing “Repeal” tops and “Yes” badges, the crowds celebrated as the verdict was announced, waving Irish flags and placards reading “Thank you”, with love hearts on.

At Dublin’s RDS count centre, 40-year-old nurse Ruth Bowie wept at the results. She said, “I had to leave my country to get the healthcare that I needed when I was told that my baby wouldn’t survive outside the womb and I’ve told my story over and over again just in the hope that this day would come — and it’s finally come.”

The final results of Friday’s referendum showed 66.4 per cent voted for removing the constitutional ban, while 33.6 voted against. The turnout was 64 per cent.

Among the 40 constituencies, the pro-choice vote peaked at 78 per cent in Dublin Bay South, while rural Donegal was the only one to vote against abortion, by 52 per cent.

“A quiet revolution has taken place, a great act of democracy,” PM Varadkar tweeted.

He told cheering crowds at Dublin Castle: “The people have spoken. “They are saying this is a country where we trust women and respect their choices. “Thank you so much for making today possible.”

His government proposes allowing abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and between 12 and 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances.

Varadkar said he wanted the law in force by the end of the year and Health Minister Simon Harris told AFP that the cabinet would meet on Tuesday to approve the drafting of legislation.

The result is another hammer blow to the Roman Catholic Church’s authority in Ireland, coming three years after referendum voters backed legalising same-sex marriage by 62 per cent.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2018