Michael D Higgins has been re-elected as the President of Ireland after receiving 56 per cent of the country’s votes in the elections. Businessman Peter Casey came second with 23.1 per cent votes, while none of the other four candidates polled more than 10 per cent.

Voters also supported the proposal to remove blasphemy as an offence from the Constitution, with 65 per cent voting yes.

Mr Higgins is the first incumbent in 50 years to face a challenge in the bid for a second term. Casey took significantly more votes than the final opinion polls of the campaign had predicted