THE most sensational outcome of the referendum in the Irish Republic was how articles two and three of Eamon de Valera's 1937 constitution - the causes claiming territorial right over Northern Ireland - fell as suddenly and decisively as the collapse of the Berlin Wall ripped Communism apart.

A stunning 94.4% of voters agreed to remove from the constitution a traditional bulwark of nationalism, in favour of a re-definition of the Irish nation in terms of its people rather than its territory.

Although this seismic change in Irish national identity was supported by all the political parties in the Republic, its proposed removal, even a few years ago, would have produced sharp divisions.

That it was mooted by a successor of de Valera in the Fianna Fail party, Mr Albert Reynolds, and accomplished by its current leader, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, indicates the depth of the sea-change in attitudes.

A jubilant Mr Ahern, speaking at the count centre in Dublin Castle on Saturday evening, said that it behoved everyone to accept the people's verdict.

The people ''have endorsed the Good Friday Agreement as the only legitimate charter to guide and direct our efforts now and for the future as we seek to build a new agreed Ireland, north and south.

''The voice of the people, spoken by the living representatives of the two great traditions of this island, has re-defined Ireland. Their collective verdict transcends not just the 1985 British-Irish Agreement, but the whole 1920-21 settlement.''

In a radio interview yesterday, Mr Ahern said that Sinn Fein should be part of the new executive Government in Northern Ireland that will take office after the June 25 election to a new cross-community assembly.

He said that the people of Northern Ireland wanted the paramilitaries in both communities ''out of their hair''.

Calling for a reduction in the British Army's presence in Northern Ireland, Mr Ahern said he had raised this issue with Prime Minister Tony Blair, and he believed that Mr Blair understood the hostility of nationalists to the refurbishing and extension of military bases in South Armagh.

Mr Ahern said that the sheer size of the democratic vote for the Good Friday peace accord should enable an assembly to be set up as envisaged in the accord.

Irish deputy premier Mary Harney said yesterday that the removal of the Republic's territorial claim to the North was ''unimaginable and impossible'' when her party, the Progressive Democrats, first advocated such a change.

Ms Harney said that the decommissioning of paramilitary arms would be just as important an issue as the release of the prisoners.

''We can see the war is over. The people have indicated that, and I think everyone must respond generously to that.''

In contrast to the north-south celebrations, there was disappointment and concern at the decline in public support for Ireland's membership of the European Union.

Although the Amsterdam Treaty, updating the European constitution, was passed by a comfortable 62% to 38%, this was a sizeable slippage from the 83-17 ratio when Ireland first voted in 1972 to join Europe.

The technical nature of the treaty made it difficult to be understood, and discussion of it was overshadowed by its being held on the same day as the Northern Ireland poll.

Recognising the growing strength of the anti-EU lobby, Mr Ahern said that voters had sent a clear signal that they wanted to retain Ireland's independence, rather than become a province of a federal Europe.