Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has heralded Ireland's landslide abortion referendum as a "quiet revolution" which has brought Ireland into the modern era and thrown off the last shadows of our conservative past,
In a short speech to the media moments after the official result of the historic eighth amendment referendum was confirmed to be 66.21% yes to 33.79% no, Mr Varadkar said simply: "A quiet revolution has taken place".
Mr Varadkar said the overwhelming yes result across all regions, 39 of 40 constituencies, almost age groups and both men and women shows "we are not a divided country".
Saying "I believe everyone deserves a second chance, this is Ireland's second chance", the Taoiseach said "for 35 years we have hidden the realities of crisis pregnancies being our laws" and that the vote "changes all of that".
Mr Varadkar - who did not take questions from journalists - said "today will be remembered" as the moment Ireland "came of age as a country" and threw off the last shadows of the nation's conservative past.
Quoting US poet Maya Angelou, he said history cannot be un-lived but, with courage, it does not have to be lived again.
Reaction as Heath Minister @SimonHarrisTD and others take to the stage after #Referendum2018 result is announced #iestaff pic.twitter.com/KqoLoTfVFl
— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) May 26, 2018