Published: Friday, 2nd October, 2009 9:00am

Almost 55,000 Offaly voters to revisit Lisbon

Almost 55,000 Offaly voters have the opportunity to revisit Lisbon today (Friday).

At 7am today - almost sixteen months after the first referendum - polls opened and local voters were again asked if Ireland should ratify the Lisbon Treaty.

Figures obtained from Offaly County Council show that 54,472 of the county's residents are eligible to cast their verdict, while across the Laois/Offaly constituency as a whole 111,713 people are registered to vote.

Those campaigning for a Yes vote will be hoping that voters in the Laois/Offaly constituency have not changed their minds on the treaty.

On June 12, 2008, voters in the constituency defied the national trend, with 56% backing Lisbon and 44% opposing it.

Brian Cowen spearheaded the Yes campaign and Offaly voters' loyalty to the Taoiseach was apparent in the Yes vote of 57% in the county last year.

That Yes verdict was particularly clear-cut in his native Clara, where 77% of voters were in favour of the proposed changes to the operation of the EU.

Nationally, however, the treaty was defeated by a margin of 53.4% to 46.6%.

Polls will remain open until 10pm today.