Eyes of world media on Ireland as abortion referendum count nears end

Media organisations from around the world have their eyes on Ireland today, as counting in the referendum to repeal the country's strict anti-abortion laws continues.

The New York Times features the count prominently on the homepage of it's website under the headline 'Ireland votes to legalise abortion in blow to catholic conservatism.

The story states “Ireland voted decisively to repeal one of the world’s more restrictive abortion bans, the prime minister said Saturday, sweeping aside generations of conservative patriarchy and dealing the latest in a series of stinging rebukes to the Roman Catholic Church.

"The surprising landslide cemented the nation's liberal shift at a time when right-wing populism is on the rise in Europe and the Trump administration is imposing curbs on abortion rights in the United States. In the past three years alone, Ireland has installed a gay man as prime minister and has voted in another referendum to allow same-sex marriage".

Dublin West result: Taoiseach’s constituency reports 74% Yes

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We want to hear your reaction to the referendum result

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Dublin Mid-West result: Yes 73.27% and No 26.73%

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Limerick County result: Repeal supported by 58.1% of voters

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The Sydney Morning Herald features the story among the main news items on its website also. Under the headline 'Ireland to end abortion ban in historic vote' the story states that Ireland has overwhelmingly voted to liberalise its abortion laws, in a referendum that surprised almost everyone by revealing a fervour for change in this formerly conservative, strictly Catholic country.

“Exit polls showed that more than two-thirds of voters wanted to repeal the country’s Eighth Amendment, which in 1983 had enshrined in the constitution the right of life of the unborn equal to the right of the mother, effectively banning almost all abortions”.

The referendum count is leading the BBC news website under the headline: "Ireland abortion referendum: PM hails 'quiet revolution'"

The report states: “The Irish prime minister has hailed his country’s “quiet revolution” as early results point to a “resounding” vote for overturning the abortion ban.

"Leo Varadkar was speaking after exit polls suggested a landslide vote in favour of reforming the law."

Sky News features a live blog of the referendum count as the lead item on its website under the headline: "Crowds gather in Dublin as Yes vote leads".

It’s other main item on the site runs under the headline: “A quiet revolution: Ban on abortions in Ireland set to end”.

It states: “The result in Ireland’s historic referendum on relaxing abortion laws appears to have been a “resounding” yes, the country’s prime minister says.”

The referendum is also currently among the top stories on the international section of the CNN website: "Irish strongly in favor of ending abortion ban, exit poll shows'.

The story also features on the homepage of the Al Jazeera website: "Ireland abortion referendum: 'Monumental day for women".

It states exit polling and early results suggest that Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to liberalise the country’s strict abortion laws.”

A live blog on the count also features as the main item on the homepage of the The Guardian’s website under the headline: “Official results show big lead for yes in Ireland”.

The story is covered too on the website of The Times of India under the headline: 'Irish PM hails 'quiet revolution' as vote overturns abortion ban'. It states: "Ireland has voted by a landslide to liberalise some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws in what its prime minister described as the culmination of a "quiet revolution" in what was one of Europe's most socially conservative countries."