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Poll: Yes vote falls ahead of marriage referendum

A mural in Dublin's Temple bar area by street artist SUMS supporting a yes vote in the marriage equality referendum
A mural in Dublin's Temple bar area by street artist SUMS supporting a yes vote in the marriage equality referendum A mural in Dublin's Temple bar area by street artist SUMS supporting a yes vote in the marriage equality referendum (Niall Carson/PA)

SUPPORT for the Yes vote in Ireland's marriage equality referendum has plummeted with less than a week to go.

Three opinion polls yesterday revealed there has been a significant fall for the Yes side in Friday's referendum.

While the Yes vote is still leading the campaign, all three polls show the gap is narrowing. An increasing number of voters have also said they are still undecided.

All three polls suggest that the referendum on same-sex marriage would be passed, however, there are differences between the three surveys as to what exact percentage of voters intend to back the proposals.

Ireland is the first country in the world to hold a referendum to legalise gay marriages. Voters will decide on Friday if same-sex couples will be able to legally marry in the south.

The Sunday Business Post RED C poll found 69 per cent of voters are still in favour of passing the constitutional change, but this is down by three points.

The poll also saw the No vote jump by five points to 25 per cent with 6 per cent undecided, that is down two points.

More than half (53 per cent) of those polled for the Sunday Independent MillwardBrown survey said they would vote Yes.

But it is a fall of 13 points compared with the last survey.

Almost a quarter of people surveyed said they will vote No, which is an increase of three points on a poll carried out last month.

The percentage of voters who do not know which way they will vote has jumped 10 points to 23 per cent.

A Sunday Times Behaviour and Attitudes Poll found a 10 point drop in support for a Yes vote, it now stands at 63 per cent.

The No vote rose by four points to 26 per cent with the number of undecided voters also increasing, it is up six points to 11 per cent.

The Catholic church is opposed to the change, while the major political parties say it is a civil not a religious matter and are campaigning for a Yes vote.

Letters from Irish bishops were read to parishioners in churches yesterday urging them to vote No.

The statements from Bishops Kieran O'Reilly, Kevin Doran, Martin Drennan and John Fleming argue against the proposal to change the constitutional definition of marriage.

The Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Kieran O'Reilly, said while none of the bishops in Ireland wanted "to alienate or denigrate any person or group of persons in our society"..."we believe that marriage between a man and a woman is an institution that is fundamental to human life and the well-being of society".

The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, has also challenged claims by Yes campaigners that legalising same-sex marriage would not affect its opponents or church marriages.

Dr Martin wrote that a Yes outcome in the referendum would affect every citizen, because it would "fundamentally change the philosophy which underpins cohesion in society".