EU Lisbon treaty hanging by a thread in Ireland

DUBLIN – Indications three hours into counting votes in the Lisbon treaty referendum are that the no camp is winning.

Liam Aylward, a member of the governing Fianna Fáil party and an MEP, said of the treaty that "it looks like it will be defeated overall".

“In my own constituency of Kilkenny [east Ireland], we voted marginally in favour, with urban people voting against and rural for, in general.”

There are no decisive results yet and all figures should be treated with caution, but RTE News is reporting that with almost all boxes now open the general trend seems to be 60/40 per cent in favour of the no side.

Turnout is estimated to have been around the 45 per cent mark.

Some of the constituencies in Dublin are favouring a yes vote, but rural areas, especially fishing towns hit by rising costs of fuel, are largely voting no.

One fishing town in Wexford has, according to reports, voted 93 per cent against the treaty.

Fishermen are due to meet agriculture minister Brendan Smith today to discuss the crisis, which has seen protests taking place across Europe in the last few weeks.

In Libertas leader Declan Ganley’s Galway constituency, in the west of Ireland, the votes are matching the 60/40 trend on the no side seen elsewhere in the country.

In taoiseach Brian Cowen's constituency in Offaly, 57 per cent have voted yes and 42 per cent have voted no, according to RTE News.

All boxes should be open by 12 midday.

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