The referendum on the age of presidential candidates has been defeated with 73.1% voting No and 26.9% voting Yes.

A total of 1,412,602 people voted against, while 520,898 people voted in favour.

Voters were asked whether to reduce the minimum age of presidential candidates from 35 to 21 years.

Welcoming the expected result earlier today, Professor Colum Kenny of Dublin City University said most citizens of Ireland saw no need to change the institution of the presidency.

"Most citizens want real reform of our political institutions and regarded the proposal to reduce the age at which one may become president as a trivial measure," Mr Kenny said.

"Most citizens are well aware of the real needs of young people, and regarded this proposed measure as contemptible."

Sinn Féin spokesperson on equality, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said that although his party had supported the referendum, there were constitutional issues of greater significance which the Government had failed to address.

"It must be noted that this was a referendum brought about by a Government that failed to deal with bigger constitutional issues,” Mr Mac Lochlainn said. “These include the extension of voting rights to the diaspora and Irish Citizens in the north.

"The Government has also reneged on its commitment to hold a referendum on extending the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds by the end of 2015.”

Results

Carlow-Kilkenny: No 74.35%, Yes 25.65%

Cavan-Monaghan: No 74.78, Yes 25.22

Clare: No 75.99%, Yes 24.01%

Cork East: No 74.97%, Yes 25.03%

Cork North Central: No 73.14%, Yes 26.86%

Cork North-West: No 77.10%, 22.90%

Cork South-Central: No 73.05%, Yes 26.95%

Cork South-West: No 76.28%, Yes 23.72%

Donegal North East: No 71.52%, Yes 28.48%

Donegal South-West: No 71.99%, Yes 28.01%

Dublin Central: No 63.39%, Yes 36.61%

Dublin Mid-West: No 71.33%, Yes 28.67%

Dublin North: No 70.34%, Yes 29.66%

Dublin North Central: No 70.43%, Yes 29.57%

Dublin North East: No 70.49%, Yes 29.51%

Dublin North West: No 69.02%, Yes 30.98%

Dublin South: No 67.51%, Yes 32.49%

Dublin South Central: No 65.72%, Yes 34.28%

Dublin South East: No 62.38%, Yes 37.62%

Dublin South West: No 70.02%, Yes 29.98%

Dublin West: No 70.78%, Yes 29.22%

Dún Laoghaire: No 68.70%, Yes 31.30%

Galway East: No 77.57%, Yes 22.43%

Galway West: No 73.19%, Yes 26.81%

Kerry North-West Limerick: No 76.73%, Yes 23.27%

Kerry South: No 78.03%, Yes 21.97%

Kildare North: No 72.78%, Yes 27.22%

Kildare South: No 73.88%, Yes 26.12%

Laois Offaly: No 76.17%, Yes 23.83%

Limerick: No 77.11%, Yes 22.89%

Limerick City: No 72.2%, Yes 27.8%

Longford-Westmeath: No 75.72%, Yes 24.28%

Louth: No 73.4%, Yes 26.6%

Mayo: No 76.23%, Yes 23.77%

Meath East: No 74.6%, Yes 25.4%

Meath West: No 75.23%, Yes 24.77%

Roscommon South-Leitrim: No 77.5%, Yes 22.5%

Sligo-North Leitrim: No 75.04%, Yes 24.96%

Tipperary North: No 76.93%, Yes 23.07%

Tipperary South: No 77.15%, Yes 22.85%

Waterford: No 73.81%, Yes 26.19%

Wexford: No 74.27%, 25.73%

Wicklow: No 70.76%, Yes 29.24%