Tears of joy and looks of despair were in evidence as Cork’s overwhelming decision to repeal the Eighth Amendment was made official.

A political party says it has gathered hundreds of signatures backing its “moral claim” to the Cork City Council seat left vacant in the wake of the general election.

The filling of a vacant seat on Cork City Council has been deferred again after councillors got legal advice which said they had no legal entitlement to proceed with the move.

Indications from polling stations last night suggested that a record number of people cast their vote in yesterday’s referenda on marriage equality and lowering the age of eligibility to run for the presidency.

The Anti-Austerity Alliance Cork City councillor and grandmother Lil O’Donnell said a combination of anger at the shocking revelations in the Anglo tapes and the introduction of the water tax, compelled her to run for election.

A new group called the Anti Austerity Alliance has announced plans to contest up to 40 local authority seats across the country next May, targeting three in Cork City.

The country said no — but Munster said yes, with the province narrowly voting in favour of scrapping the Seanad.

A Fine Gael TD at risk of losing his Dáil seat has criticised the proposed changes to his constituency, saying they will disenfranchise some voters.

Counting is continuing across the country in the EU Fiscal Treaty referendum, and the Yes side seems to be ahead according to early tallies.

Seán Haughey witnessed the end of his family’s political presence in Dublin going back some 54 years, while the Andrews brothers, Chris and Barry, both lost their seats in their respective constituencies.

THERE were four seats for the taking in Cork North Central but the big winner was certainly Jonathan O’Brien, the Sinn Féin city councillor who after three hard-fought but unsuccessful general election campaigns finally got a Dáil seat for the party in Cork city.

Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien has been elected to Cork’s North Central.

THE Government and the opposition led the criticisms of the HSE last night after an independent report found serious failures in its approach to children in foster care.

CHILDREN have been placed in foster placements in which carers are alleged to have carried out abuse or in which carers are alleged drug dealers, according to new reports.

THE Minister for Children Barry Andrews has met with senior Health Service Executive officials to discuss child welfare and protection services after ongoing cracks in services for children in care emerged during the week.

AS the first piece of jewellery given to a child, the baby bracelet becomes a family heirloom, a tangible keepsake for generations to come.

THE Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is investigating 19 allegations made against foster carers in Dublin North West and North Central, including some of a sexual nature.

SIX weeks after the Health Service Executive (HSE) declared it had ended the dangerous custom of placing children with unapproved and unassessed foster carers, evidence has emerged to show that the unsafe practice actually continued.

FINE Gael has for the first time become the largest party on Cork City Council, ending decades of Fianna Fáil dominance.

ELECTION candidates hoping to get seats in Cork City Council’s north-east ward may have to walk a tightrope on an issue that proves just how local politics really is.

CORK North Central will benefit from the transfer of populations from two other constituencies to make up the glaring deficit of population that became obvious in the 2006 Census.

THERE has been a dramatic change of tune from the Noel O’Flynn chorus in just one week.

FIANNA FÁIL number-crunchers do not believe Cork Airport’s debt will cost the party seats, and now say the party it will not cancel the debt before polling day.

Communities across north inner city Dublin were left devastated today following the killing of retired teacher Maire Buckley who died saving her daughter from the path of a stolen bus in the west of the city.

THE possibility of Dublin North Central TD Sean Haughey withdrawing from politics was widely discounted yesterday as others in the constituency eyed up the impact such a move would bring.

THREE constituencies in the south and west could lose a TD in the next general election due to a fall in the voting population, it emerged yesterday.