Like an outdoor speed date, the groups are asked to partner up. There are smiles, hugs, and introductions.

Together for Yes campaign canvass organisers like to pair people who have already gone door-to-door with those volunteering for the first time.

It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon, one of the first warm days of 2018, and a large group has gathered in Dublin’s Inchicore to go out on the canvass.

It consists mainly of women, but there’s a good scattering of men, plus two babies small enough to be strapped to the front of their parents.

Among the group is television personality and UCD lecturer Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin.

“This is a very important issue for me,” she says. “I just think, for Ireland right now, it’s really important that we acknowledge women’s rights as human rights, and I think since the marriage equality referendum — and I also canvassed in that — there has been a really nice momentum, with people just getting out getting involved.

“We are having those conversations with our friends but there are other people who maybe don’t know enough about it, and that’s what we found out on the doors when we get to talk to people. Not everybody knows what’s going on — they don’t really know what we are voting on.

“I am not affiliated with any political party but this is something where you can meet other people who are also passionate about this and it’s a really nice sense of community where you can go around and talk to other people, because this referendum is really going to be about conversations and discussions.”

While Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith is also taking part in the canvass, organisers are keen to state that they are not affiliated with any political party and have had members of Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and others on their canvasses, which take place a number of times a week.

“It’s becoming part of people’s weekly routines,” says Aoibhinn, “where you decide if you are going to go out one of the evenings or if you are going to go out on the weekends, and it’s really about helping people to galvanise how they are thinking about it.”

Volunteers, including Aoibhinn, are updated on where canvasses will be held through Whatsapp and other social media.

“I found out about this group on Twitter and then other people have linked up on Facebook and another friend then set up a Whatsapp,” she says. “People that I don’t necessarily know, but now we are all in touch with each other to find out what day we are going out.”

Jim Healy has been organising the social media side, setting up Twitter, Instagram, and other accounts.

“A couple of months ago we started organising, knowing that the referendum date was coming at the end of May,” he says.

“It’s still going to be close, but I think if we continue doing what we are doing and meeting the people face-to- face, we are meeting those who are undecided, hopefully it will pass.”

With the pleasantries and introductions over, the volunteers subdivide into groups of around 12 and take different roads, apartment blocks, and flats to canvass, the pairs going up to doors together.

A mini-heatwave means many residents are not at home and it is mainly leaflet-dropping on the first row of houses that Aoibhinn and canvass partner Carolann Courtney O’Malley take.

Giving up a sunny Saturday in the back garden is a “no brainer” for mother of two Carolann, who has brought her six-week-old daughter Kitty with her.

“As a family, we have been on every march to repeal the Eighth,” she says.

“I think that we need to trust women and we need to allow Irish women have autonomy over their own bodies.

“I do think that we have to give people choice and we have to trust in women and couples and families to make decisions that they need to make for themselves.”

While those out campaigning are certain of how they will vote on May 25, on the doorsteps there is a significant number of undecideds in what is a predominantly working-class area.

“I don’t know how I will vote; it won’t change anything even if we do vote Yes,” one middle-aged women says at the door.

Aoibhinn explains that it will will mean a woman won’t have to carry to full term in the case of fatal foetal abnormality or in cases of rape or incest.

Carolann adds: “And as a women who has recently had a baby, I think it definitely will give people more control over their bodies.”

The canvassers ask those who answer their doors if they have thought about how they are going to vote.

“I will take the leaflet anyway and will have a think,” one resident says.

At another door, after a long conversation, a woman agrees that it’s “horrific” for any woman to have to take an abortion pill or travel to the UK for a termination.

“She was a maybe at the start, but afterwards she said she would be voting yes, so that’s why it’s important to go out and canvass,” says Aoibhinn afterwards.

“People have an idea of what’s going on but they don’t always have the facts, so part of going around is to start that conversation. It’s not necessarily to change someone’s mind or to persuade them either way but it’s to get them to think about it and have a conversation about it.

“Hopefully, more people will be voting yes than vote no, but that’s not something that we are impinging on people in this campaign.”

Of course the canvassers meet staunch yes supporters on some doorsteps — and those who will be voting no on others.

Bríd Smith approaches a man who is taking in the sunshine on the street in front of his house.

“I am voting no; I am a Sinn Féin supporter,” he says before she opens her mouth.

The TD responds by telling the man that Sinn Féin are in favour of a repeal.

“Well, they might be but I am not,” he retorts.

After two hours, the group reconvenes and does a tot-up from the canvass — 22 yes, 10 no, and 15 undecided.

Then they disperses after getting an update on where canvasses will be held in the coming days.