The Lisbon Treaty Rejected By Irish Electorate
Photos By: Derek Kiely and Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Cork County Cllr. Martin Hallinan,Youghal Town Cllrs. Sandra McLellan and Michelle Hennessy with Thelma Reilly, Sheila Whyte, Linda Regan, Tony Hennessy, Mark Morrison, Eileen Griffin, Christy Reilly and Gerald Hennessy celebrate the No vote
The Lisbon Treaty has been rejected by Irish voters sparking a crisis for plans to reform European Union structures. A total of 53.4 per cent voted to reject the treaty, while 46.6 per cent voted in favour of it. All but 10 constituencies rejected the treaty, with a total of 752,451 voting in favour of Lisbon and 862,415 votes against. Turnout was 53.1 per cent.
Cork County Cllr. Martin Hallinan casts his vote at The Church Of The Holy Family Hall Youghal
Youghal Town Sinn Féin Cllrs. Sandra McLellan and Michelle Hennessy who campaigned for a No vote have welcomed the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by Irish voters. Cllr. McLellan said “People have expressed genuine concerns on issues such as Irish Neutrality, Military spending, Common Defence Force, the loss of our commissioner and the change of our voting strengths” she said “The Taoiseach needs to return to the Council of Europe to negotiate a better deal for the Irish people” Cllr. Hennessy said the Treaty was “finished”
Speaking from the count centre in East Cork, Sinn Féin Councillor Martin Hallinan called on the Government to listen to the concerns of the people and focus on delivering jobs and healthcare across the island and in particular across this constituency. Councillor Hallinan said ‘ The results of this referendum show how out of touch the established party’s political leaders are from the people. It is time the government, in particular reflects and considers the peoples solid rejection of their message’ The founder of Libertas, Declan Ganley, who campaigned for a No vote, said: “The Irish people have rejected the Lisbon Treaty. “It is a great day for Irish democracy”
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Comments
* All comments are moderated before publishing.It sickens me to see Sinn Fein use the Lisbon Treaty referendum so cynically. They used it for short-sighted and self-serving reasons. Mary Lou McDonald’s campaign was based on half-truths and downright lies. This country is in for a rude awakening. We’ve gained a lot from Europe, the least we could have done is have a grown up debate about this. I’d like to see what Sinn Fein proposes to do when the unemployment rate increases as foreign investment leaves. Increase the number of Fas courses? Tiocfaidh Armani indeed.
Great to see a NO outcome! Why should we turn our back on our neutrality that men fought and died for!!!!
Enough of this claptrap about neutrality. Neutrality IS NOT and NEVER HAS BEEN enshrined in Bunreacht na hEireann, available online if you want to read it, and men neither fought nor died for it.
Ireland never has been neutral in the full sense of the word. Irish Neutrality was enacted by Dail Eireann at the outbreak of WWII. German Luftwaffe pilots captured in Ireland were detained while RAF pilots were returned to the UK. Even today US troops flow through Shannon airport. This is not neutrality but another Irish solution to an Irish problem.
It should also be noted that until 1949 Ireland was a member of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland did not exist until the Republic of Ireland Act was enacted by Dail Eireann on 1st April 1949.
Ignorance of Irish history by people who should know better never ceases to amaze me.
The Lisbon Treaty and its forerunner, the European Constitution, have now been rejected three times - by voters in France, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Why don’t the European political elite accept Lisbon is dead, instead of trying to push ahead with ratification and bully Ireland into reversing it democratic decision? Our government should defend the verdict of the people rather than collude with French and Germans to try to get around it. Lisbon cannot come into effect without all 27 countries ratifying. If European leaders criticise Ireland our government should challenge them to put the treaty to a democratic vote in their own countries - nearly every population in Europe would reject it. Fair play to Sinn Féin, they were the only party to take a stand for Irish democracy and neutrality when the political establishment were trying to ram this treaty down our throat.
Typical, us Irish want to benefit from all Europe has to offer us and have gladfully taken everything Europe had to offer in the past. but really, we don’t actually want to assist in creating a better Europe. Ireland is now on a slippery slope back to where we were in the 80’s and the No Vote campaigners are to blame along with us people who never actually took the time to read and understand the treaty. We can’t blame the government for this one.