The Yes Equality Roscommon campaign has blamed local politicians for the No vote in the county.
Roscommon-South Leitrim was the only constituency in the country to return a No vote albeit by a small margin of just 1,029 votes (51.4 per cent No and 48.6 per cent Yes).
On its Facebook page, Yes Equality Roscommon said it "watched in envy as well-known politicians in almost every other area in the country got publicly and deeply involved in the campaigns in their areas. Our multiple letters, texts and emails to our elected representatives went, for the most part, unanswered.
"There were two exceptions to this, Maura Hopkins (Fine Gael councillor) and Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan. We are forever grateful to them and will remember their help and support for a long time to come. We also won't forget the lack of support from other politicians when they ask for our votes."
Yes Equality Roscommon spokesman Will Keane accused most Roscommon politicians of being more interested in the forthcoming general election than in canvassing for a Yes vote.
“I respect public representatives on either side if they voice their opinion, but the political silence was deafening. They were afraid to nail their colours to the mast. Roscommon has a history with referenda. They were concerned about how conservative referendum results had been previously. I’m disappointed in all our public representatives with the exception of the two people I mentioned.”
Mr Keane said Independent MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan had shared a couple of Facebook posts but had done no canvassing on the ground. “He didn’t come to any of our events.”
He said Independent TDs Michael Fitzmaurice and Denis Naughten failed to canvass though both indicated to The Irish Times that they were going to vote Yes.
“I’d ask, as a voter, ‘would I vote for someone who did not stand by their decision?’ They are supposed to be public representatives,” he said.
“Denis Naughten said he had a letter in the Westmeath Independent but I didn’t see it.”
Mr Keane said he was surprised that Labour Senator John Kelly was not more active . . . given Labour's central involvement in the campaign. "We had to put up the Fianna Fáil and Labour posters ourselves."
Mr Keane said they had only 40 volunteers to cover the predominantly rural county and only 12 who were out on the street canvassing on a daily basis.
“It is not nice to the red dot at the centre of the map but it is amazing to live in a country where you are equal by popular vote,” he said.
