Over the past week or so, NUIG, UCD and UCC held referendums on whether the colleges should have pro-united stances and all voted in favour of Irish unity. But the Trinity College Dublin unity vote had a different result: the students elected not to have a pro-united stance.
According to the Irish Times, 55% of voters yesterday chose to support neutrality over Irish unity, becoming the first college in Ireland to do so. And unlike other colleges, Trinity gave their students the option of choosing a 'neutral' stance, instead of pro-united or partitionist.
Amongst the 2,155 valid votes cast over two days, 43% of students voted for a pro-unity stance and 2% of those who voted chose to support a stance against Irish unity.
Sally-Anne McCarthy, from the neutral campaign, told the Irish Times she hoped the result would lead to a “continuation of conversation”, and Conall Moran, from pro-unity campaign, told the University Times, the result was “disappointing” however respected students’ decisions.
To make matters confusing, this was a preferendum and not a referendum, so the result doesn't mean TCDSU has to support neutrality, i.e. it's still possible for a referendum on Irish unity to be called.
Advertisement
To call a referendum a motion would need the support of two thirds of TCDSU’s council or 250 signatures within five teaching weeks.
In a statement after the result, TCDSU President, Kieran McNulty, said he was “glad that students’ had chosen to debate the issue” and would be talking to the council about the next steps.
Talk about a cliffhanger.
Also read:
