BelfastTHE people of Northern Ireland began a new chapter yesterday after turning out in force to give apparently overwhelming support to the Good Friday Agreement.

They voted by up to 75% in favour of the deal, according to an exit poll from the Ulster referendum. The poll, reported on Ireland's RTE television network, also forecast 95% in favour of the agreement in the Republic.

Such a victory for the Yes campaign would mark the most radical change in Northern Ireland politics in a century.

Record numbers voted, with unofficial figures putting the turn-out to be in the region of 90% in some areas, with an overall figure of 80% of the electorate casting their vote.

The figures showed that 99% of Roman Catholics voted Yes, but with Protestants divided on a near 50-50 basis.

Of those who voted Yes, 85% said it was because the deal provided hope and peace and 34% said there was no other option. On the No side, the main reasons listed centred on concerns over the release of paramilitary prisoners, 80%, and the weakening of the union between Northern Ireland and Britain, 47%.

In Dublin, Brian Lenihan of the Fianna Fail main Irish government party said: ''Up to 99% of nationalists voting for the agreement suggests very strongly that the war is over as far as northern nationalism is concerned.''

Charlie Flanagan, of Ireland's Fine Gael party, commented: ''Now is the time for Sinn Fein and the IRA to declare that the IRA is redundant once and for all.'' He added: ''I think particular credit is due to David Trimble, the Ulster Unionist leader.''

Although Protestants have been split over the Yes/No issue, Mr David Trimble's Yes campaigners indicated last night they could secure enough support to go into next month's elections to a new assembly confident of resisting a pledge by opponents to wreck the power-sharing administration.

The Prime Minister has already said he would settle a 65% figure after votes are counted at the King's Hall in Belfast today. But with the anti-agreement parties, headed by the Rev Ian Paisley and Mr Robert McCartney, insisting more than half of Protestants will back the No side, there is no doubt London, Dublin, and Washington would prefer an overall majority closer to 70%.

Mr Blair has invested enormous personal effort into persuading reluctant Unionists to vote Yes - with assurances there will be no place for Sinn Fein in any administration until he was convinced the IRA had given up violence permanently.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said he was confident the parties were involved in a lasting peace settlement. ''We have not got that yet. This is a significant step in that process, and when we get that lasting peace settlement, that will be the day when people can relax,'' he said.

Mr Gary McMichael, of the Ulster Democratic Party, said: ''I feel very confident. In working class areas where we thought, perhaps, we were starting to lose ground, it actually appears to be the opposite case.''

The province's electorate is nearly 1.2 million, but it was clear first-time voters came out in strength. Even before some polling stations had opened, queues had formed.

There was also a large turn-out in the Irish Republic. Voters there were asked if they approved the proposal to amend the constitution, dropping the claim on the six counties of Northern Ireland.

Although the anti-agreement parties expect to be on the losing side, they have already made preliminary arrangements to contest next month's Assembly elections.

Even in areas of Ballymena, heart of Mr Paisley's Democratic Unionist constituency, many voters said Yes.

''I've listened to Mr Paisley ranting for the past 30 years and I'm fed up of it,'' said Terry Flanagan, 54. ''I voted Yes because the other idiots have nothing to offer.''