Note to Government: Don't hold referendums during a recession. Hard pressed, disillusioned voters will do one of two things - they'll either stay at home or vote against you, even, it seems, if you're proposing to abolish what many beleagured voters see as an undemocratic, costly second arm of Government that can be done without.  And so it came to pass on Friday last.

The turnout nationally was 39.2%. The amendment was defeated by a margin of 51.7% to 48.3%.

In the Avondhu readership electoral areas the results were mixed. Cork East voted to keep the Seanad while Cork North Central supported the amendment to get rid of it. Tipperary South also opted to abolish it while Waterford said 'no'.

The highest percentage turnout was in Tipperary South where 41.72% of the 56,060-strong electorate voted. Second highest was Waterford where 40.69% of the 76,442 eligible voters went to the polls. Cork North Central had the lowest percentage turnout with 38.6% of its 74,928 casting their vote. In Cork East the figure was 39.01% of the 81,534 eligible voters.

It may have had the lowest percentage turnout but Cork North Central recorded the sixth highest 'yes' vote nationally with  51.8% of voters who did turn out supporting the Government's amendment.

The results were tight in three of the four electoral areas; in Cork East 51.4% of the electorate voted 'no' while 48.6% voted 'yes'. In Cork North Central it was 51.8% 'yes' and 48.2% 'no' while in South Tipperary the figure was 50.41% for the 'yes' side and 49.59% for the 'no' side. The biggest margin was in Waterford where 53.46% voted 'no' as opposed to 46.54% who supported the amendment.

Waterford had the highest number of spoiled votes with 446 recorded, in Cork East the number was 430, it was 358 in Cork North Central it was 358 while Tipperary South has the lowest number at 311.

There was speculation at the weekend that the Government might re-run the referendum. However, on Tuesday the Taoiseach ruled that out. There does however now appear to be some appetite for reform of the Seanad.

The referendum on the Court of Appeal meanwhile was comfortably passed on Friday last. Just over 65% of voters were in favour of a new Court of Appeal. The highest 'yes' vote in our readership electoral areas for that was recorded in Tipperary South where 66.54% of those who voted were in favour and 33.46% were against. The figure in Waterford was 61.68% 'yes' and 38.32% 'no'. In Cork North Central it was 62.69% for the 'yes' side and 37.31% 'no' and in Cork East the percentage 'yes' vote was 62.04% as opposed to 37.96% against.

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