Irish abortion referendum result expect in the mid to late afternoon

Polling closed yesterday night

Exit poll results last night suggest that by and large, Ireland wants the 8th amendment removed from the constitution. The Irish Times has predicted a "landslide" vote for Yes, putting the vote at 68 per cent. Similarly, RTÉ's exit poll put the figures at 69.4 for Yes and 30.6 for No, an "unbelievable" landslide in favour of repeal, according to correspondent David McCullough. While pollsters are confident of the accuracy of these numbers, nothing is absolutely guaranteed until the votes are counted. Ballot boxes will open at 9am and the official count will begin. It had been expected that the vote would be a close one, which would mean the first results might not be in until lunchtime or afternoon at the latest. But if the result is as resounding a Yes as the polls are predicting, the country may have the first results in from constituencies around the country this morning. An official announcement is due to be made at Dublin Castle in the mid to late afternoon. It was confirmed last night that the castle's Upper Yard will be open to members of the public who want to gather and hear the official result today.