Turnout at polling stations reached 50% in parts of the country as voting in the referendums on Family and Care closed.
Polling stations around the country opened at 7am and closed at 10pm.
Voters were given two ballot papers, there was a white one for the Family amendment and a green one for the Care amendment.
The referendum on care in the home asked voters whether or not to delete Article 41.2 of the Constitution.
This says the State recognises that "by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved" and that "the State shall endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in economic activity to the neglect of duties in the home".
This would be replaced with gender-neutral language on the provision of care with a new Article 42B which reads: "The State recognises that the provision of care by members of a family to one another, by reason of the bonds that exist between them, gives to Society a support without which the common good cannot be achieved and shall strive to support such provision."
The referendum on the definition of family asked voters whether or not to change Article 41.1, which recognises the family "as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of society" to insert "family – whether founded on marriage or other durable relationships".
This would also alter Article 41.3 which says "the State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of marriage" to remove the following part: "on which the family is founded".
Some 86,000 people were added to the electoral register since the start of the year, bringing the total number of eligible voters to almost 3.5 million.
Citizens living on the islands for the first time got to vote on the same day as the rest of the country - following changes made in 2022.
Counting will get under way at 9am tomorrow, with two separate declarations of the results, expected in the afternoon or evening.
This morning, President Michael D Higgins voted in St Mary's Hospital in Phoenix Park while Taoiseach Leo Varadkar voted at Scoil Treasa Naofa in Dublin 8.
Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar casts his vote in the referendums on Family and Care #Referendum2024 more @rtenews pic.twitter.com/hlpBFnVXng
— Paul Deighan (@PaulDeighano) March 8, 2024
Munster
The late evening was particularly busy and pushed turnout upwards in parts of Munster.
Some polling stations in Cork City hit 50% turnout.
At 8pm, the three constituencies in Cork County were averaging just over 36%.
There have been hotspots too in Limerick, with Ballybrown/Clarina - around 10kms from the city - hitting 50% turnout just before 8pm.
In Clare, turnout approached 40% in Shannon, Ennistymon, Kilrush and Killaloe at 8pm, but it was only at 29% in parts of Ennis at that stage.
In Tralee in Kerry turnout hit over 40% and in Waterford City, Tramore, Dungarvan and in Co Tipperary, turnout was 40% at 8pm.
Leinster
Turnout across Dublin City picked up significantly throughout the evening. Turnout in Dublin North West reached 46% by 8.30pm. Dublin Central is at 39%, Dublin Bay North is at 45% and Dublin Bay South is at 32.8%.
The highest turnout in Kildare South at 5pm was in Confey at 29%, with average turnout in the constituency at 27%, Newbridge was at 27% and Athy was 25%.
Meanwhile in Kilcock in Kildare North turnout was higher than most Leinster constituencies at 32%. The average turnout across the constituency is 24.6%.
Connacht-Ulster
Polling concluded at 3pm on two Donegal offshore islands, Toraigh and Gabhla with a 37% turnout in the former and 28% in the latter. Voting ended on Árainn Mhór at 7.30pm.
In Sligo town one booth was at 32%, while in Scoil Ursula with seven polling booths, the turnout was 22%.
In Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim the turnout averaged 24% around 5.30pm.
A big upswing in turnout by mid-afternoon compared to the early stages of the day is being reported in parts of Co Cavan.
In Kill near Cootehill, a rural voting station, the average turnout was running at 31% and rising with a "steady" flow of voters coming through the doors after the work day had ended.
In Shercock, polling in one booth had reached 39% while in Mullagh, where numbers were low this morning, the boxes are now reporting close to 18% turnout, with a large amount of young people exercising their franchise.
In Cavan town voting was "steady" throughout the afternoon.
In both Galway constituencies, voting was close to 20% with the lowest turnout currently 14% in Castlegar and the highest 22% in Kinvara.
