Ireland has voted in favour of same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in the world to adopt the social reform through a popular poll.
A total of 1,201,607 voters backed the reform in the countrywide vote on Friday, which worked out to 62.07% in favour.
Over 1.9 million of the Irish Republic's 3.2 million-strong electorate turned out to cast their votes - a turnout of more than 60%.
Only one out of the 42 constituencies voted "no", with a majority of voters in all the others backing the change to the country's constitution.
The strongest support was in Dublin where the number voting "yes" went over 70% in most districts.
Voters were asked whether they wanted to amend Article 41 of the 1937 Constitution by adding a new clause to a section titled The Family.
It asked them to support or reject a change to the 78-year-old document to make it read: "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex."
Some observers have said the change is remarkable considering it is only 22 years since Ireland decriminalised homosexuality.
The vote has not yet made same-sex marriage legal - new laws will now be put to Irish parliament before the summer.
It is expected that the first ceremonies will take place before the end of the year.
Leo Varadkar, Health Minister and Ireland's first openly gay cabinet member, described what it meant for his country's population.
"Something has been awakened in the Irish people ... it was not just a referendum it was more like a social revolution," he said.
Thousands of people packed into the upper courtyard at Dublin Castle to await the result and cheered as it was announced.
Same sex marriage was legalised in England and Wales by the UK Parliament in July 2013 and in Scotland by the Scottish Parliament in February 2014.
The move puts renewed pressure on the devolved Northern Ireland government to follow suit after the executive said it has no intention of introducing legislation.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny paid tribute to the 60,000 young people who registered to vote in recent weeks and thousands of emigrants who came home from as far afield as Canada, the US and Australia to cast their ballots.
"It's a piece of history," he said.
One of Ireland's most senior Catholic clerics, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, said the church had to be aware that Ireland had changed.
He told RTE: "It's a social revolution that's been going on ... I think really the Church needs to do a reality check."
The Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, had earlier said the church hierarchy may have to reconsider its position on whether priests would continue to solemnise the civil aspect of a marriage if the vote was passed.
