It was different this time. More energy. More argument. And more voters.

It was clear from early on Friday morning this referendum was to be a defining one. Ireland was turning out in numbers not seen since the Lisbon Treaty referendum in 2009. A high turnout was a strong indication that the operation to mobilise a new generation of voters had succeeded. Not that there could have been much doubt: rainbow badges, flags, boats and trains told us all we needed to know about the momentum behind the campaign.

Youth cohort

Moving the digital generation out of social media and into the polling booth was critical to success for the Yes side. In the

Irish Times

/Ipsos MRBI pre-referendum poll, the 18- to 34-year-old age cohort was shown to be the most pro same-sex marriage – 83 per cent in favour. And it was this group that was the most likely to be directly affected by or to have a friend or family member affected by the result. Without their vote, simple demographics would have stacked the deck in favour of a No vote.

The media also played an important role. The issues were widely debated. With one week to go, just 13 per cent of voters were undecided. Among those who had decided, only one in five claimed to be open to changing their minds. All the indications were that the lead enjoyed by the Yes campaign was unlikely to be overturned.

The timing was also right. And not just because 61 per cent of voters said so when asked. Ireland remains a predominantly Catholic country but attitudes have changed and church teaching does not carry the same weight it once did. Polling data shows most Catholics (78 per cent, measured in 2012) prefer to follow their conscience in serious moral decisions.

In our pre-referendum poll, 55 per cent of voters considered themselves to be religious, yet the majority (58 per cent) intended to vote Yes.

In many ways, the stars were aligned for a Yes vote, yet the vote was still lower than the polls suggested (70 per cent in favour according to the final Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll). So not everything went the way of the Yes campaign.

Polling data pointed towards the undecideds coming down on the No side, as judged by their attitudes towards same-sex marriage. There was also evidence of a trend towards No, with the Yes vote sliding 10 points since January. Some further softening of the Yes vote was to be expected in the final week.

This referendum was unique. Unique for being the first time same-sex marriage has been approved by popular vote. Unique for having a Yes campaign that was not party political (unusually, Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin voters were united). And unique in the level of engagement from younger voters. Has a new generation of voters discovered a passion for politics?

Political trust

In reality, politicians are not trusted by voters, of any age, and building trust will be a much longer journey. Granted, the same-sex marriage referendum could be viewed as a first step. Equally, the second referendum, on reducing the age of presidential candidates, could be considered a step in the wrong direction.

The referendum to reduce the age at which someone could become president was roundly defeated – 73 per cent against, in line with the pre-referendum poll that showed 74 per cent intended to vote No. Positioning this referendum in the shadow of the same-sex marriage vote(no debate usually means a No vote) does not suggest the Government is serious about the political reform one suspects most young people would welcome.

Damian Loscher is managing director of Ipsos MRBI