Three constituencies vote against children's rights amendment
Three of Ireland’s 43 constituencies voted against Government plans to enshrine children’s rights in the constitution.
Donegal South West, Donegal North East and Dublin North West were the only areas to reject the referendum.
While the No vote in the Dublin constituency was marginal – with only 137 votes of a difference – the northern county was more resolute in its rejection of the reforms.
Donegal South West recorded a 56% No vote, with Donegal North East even more resounding with a 60% rejection.
Voter turnout in the county was relatively low, at 24%.
All others passed it, though in Cork North Central the margin was just 47 votes.
The highest Yes vote in the country was in Dublin South (73.03%).
Some 4,600 votes were spoiled - the highest number of 163 in the Carlow Kilkenny Constituency - many with messages of support for the jailed bankrupt Seán Quinn, and others said no information, and one said "if you can't care for them, don’t have them" and attached a leaflet on contraception.
Donegal has become renowned for its protest votes against past referendums.
Both constituencies in the county voted against the European Fiscal Treaty earlier this year.
The voter turnout at the end of May was 42% – the lowest in the country.
The two Donegal constituencies also rejected the Lisbon Treaty in both referendums in 2008 and 2009.
In the second vote, the county was only one in Ireland to vote No.
