two exit polls for the irish times newspaper and national broadcaster rte had suggested almost 70% haverendum is a significant and symbolic moment for a country which was once the most socially conservative in western europe. currently abortions are only legal in ireland if a woman's life is substantially at risk but every year, several thousand women go abroad, mainly to britain, to have terminations. voters were asked whether they wanted to remove the eighth amendment of ireland's constitution which says an unborn child has the same right to live as a pregnant woman. the government plans to bring forward new legislation. abortions would be allowed for any reason until a woman is 12 weeks pregnant and in some circumstances afterwards. chris page, bbc news, dublin. as chris was explaining there, one of the main anti—abortion campaigns has already conceded defeat. john mcguirk, communications director of the anti—abortion save the 8th campaign said no campaigners were "deeply broken—hearted. "what irish voters did yesterday is a tragedy of historic proportions. however, a wrong does not

last night, two exit polls for the irish times newspaper and the national broadcaster rte suggested almostfor a change in the law. 68 to 32. 68 to 32, yeah, yeah. applause. counting is beginning this morning — the result‘s expected to be announced late this afternoon. chris page, bbc news, dublin. i have chris with me now. thanks very much for coming over tojoin us. very much for coming over tojoin us. we are waiting. any idea of when that official results may come through? indications are it will be the late afternoon or early evening. perhaps about six or seven hours from now, but already on the basis of those exit polls which were published last night, we have campaigners from the note side in effect conceding defeat even if those exit polls has very significantly exaggerated, the yes campaign would have won. significantly exaggerated, the yes campaign would have wonm significantly exaggerated, the yes campaign would have won. it is more difficult to find those people that we re difficult to find those people that were campaigning for no, probably as were campaigning for no, probably as

doran, chairman of the irish bishops conference committee for bioethics, said during an interview on rte radio one with sean o'rourke, that voting "yes" was a sin. knowing andted yes, intending that abortion would be the outcome, then you should consider coming to confession where you would be received with compassion. bishopdoran,ying , the people who voted yes knowing it could be leading to abortion, could not be leading trading desk to anything else, it would be an abortion? >> yes, i believe so. amy: but other church leaders interviewed on rte radio one, ireland's public radio, had a different response to friday's vote. this is father brian d'arcy, one of ireland's best-known priests, speaking monday. >> i would not like to attribute sin in this matter at all. think it is the wrong language for this because this isn't an issue about church law at all. how thean issue about state is attempting to treat all way,eople in an american and emerging world, ever-changing world. many values have to be looked at, and which ethics have been changed and looked at differently. in each of us has t

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. >> a s aorep rte tr:he few things we don't know. what dress will she wear down the aisle. >> this is like a horse race. >> reporter: who will be walking her. meghan's dad thomas markle was supposed to be there but a week of tabloid drama left many wondering if he'll even make it to london at all. first "the daily mail" reported that he staged photos with the paparazzi then thomas reportedly tells tmz that he had a heart attack last week and had to undergo major heart surgery wednesday. >> questions have certainly been raised about the validity of thomas' claims. of course, theay that d ai sarts actually spotted by paparazzi outside his home. >> reporter: so far the palace has not confirmed if meghan's dad is coming or who is walking her down the aisle instead asking for understanding and respect. in addition to meghan's dad, her estranged half-sister samantha has also been making tabloid headlines all week long. the latest is that tmz reporting samantha was in a car crash while being chased by the paparazzi in florida and broke her

in the exit poll that rte, the irish national broadcaster, commissioned, the main thing that influenceds stories, that compassion, the empathy they felt with these women who were brave to tell their stories about travelling for a termination. and this country that we have grown up in, it is a nation of storytellers, we have a word for a person who told stories but there was silence about these issues for so many decades. i think people around the world might be thinking, "hang on, how can it happen so quickly?" if you look at it, i described it as it happened gradually and then suddenly but one of the effects of the eighth amendment which was introduced in 1983 was it acted as a censor, not only over issues of abortion but all issues relating to family and reproductive rights. here in ireland in 2018, we still have no laws guard —— governing idea, surrogacy, embryo transfer, all of those hugely important issues because of the huge shame and stigma and failure to tackle that and it's remarkable that what women found and the men that support them who are also affected by this, they found

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rte the irish broadcaster showing that 70% of respondents voted in favor of amending the constitutioniberalizing abortion laws here. only 30% against. and those are some decisive numbers. we'll have to see how the official results compare. the count will actually be tallied here in dublin castle and then of course we'll get the results shortly afterwards. but it does appear to be an historic day for ireland. and it is something that a number of people have been looking forward to, campaigners for decades campaigning for abortion rights and ireland's prime minister last night putting out a tweet thanking everybody for voting and saying it does look to be that history will be made sdatoday. >> and it would be major change. help our viewers understand the legacy behind this issue in ireland. given the deep roots of the catholic church there, again, this would be a major shift in opinion. >> reporter: absolutely. it is a seismic shift. ireland has had some of the strictest laws on abortion in europe, in the western world. and in 1983 actually another referendum voted into the constitution

last night, two exit polls for the irish times newspaper and the national broadcaster rte suggested almoste voted for a change in the law. 68 to 32. 68 to 32, yeah, yeah. applause. counting is beginning this morning, the results expected to be announced late this afternoon. chris page, bbc news, dublin. let's get the latest from chris now at dublin castle. good morning, we have been schooled to be sceptical about excellent polls, but this would have to be very wrong to call it the wrong way in terms of the execrable is. what do we know? that is right, most a nalysts do we know? that is right, most analysts expected that... to give an idea of the morning papers, the irish times which commissioned one of the poles say they have projected a landslide vote to repeal the eighth amendment. the irish independent confidently predicting. leo varadkar, it looks like we will 110w leo varadkar, it looks like we will now be able to bring forward legislation in the irish parliament to legalise determination of pregnancy for any reason up to 12 weeks, and in some circumstances afterwards where the child

last night, the exit polls for the irish times newspaper and the national broadcaster rte suggested almostr a change in the law. 68 to 32. counting is beginning this morning, the results expected to be announced this afternoon. chris page, bbc news, dublin. let's get the latest from chris now. obviously this result is not going to be out until mid—afternoon but given what the exit polls are saying, this could be a landslide victory for the repeal so what happens next, chris? well, nobody can quite remember a campaign that has been conducted as passionately as this one, abortion is a touchstone issue here in ireland and restrictions on abortion are pretty much a legacy of the huge influence of the catholic church here over many decades but in recent years that influence has diminished. prior to the polls opening both sides of the campaign were saying they thought that the result would be close but last night, those to exit polls, once the irish times, putting the yes campaign who want to relax the yes campaign who want to relax the laws on 68%, the other four are te putting them on 69%. wel

last night, two exit polls for the irish times newspaper and the national broadcaster rte suggested almostted for a change in the law. 68 to 32. 68 to 32, yeah, yeah. applause. counting is beginning this morning, the results expected to be announced late this afternoon. chris page, bbc news, dublin. let's get the latest from chris now at dublin castle, which is where the result will officially be announced this afternoon. good morning. it would be a bigger shock if the exit poll was wrong at this stage, given the size of what it's suggesting is the majority here. what's the reaction be like in the papers this morning? this is potentially a huge moment ireland. the irish times, which commissioned one of those exit polls last night, saying it projected a landslide vote to repeal the eighth amendment. another newspaper, the irish independent, saying confidently that it's a yes. as we now affect the eighth amendment, the effective constitutional ban on abortions, is removed, then that paves the way for government to pass a new law on abortion that would permit termination into the woman is 12