The result of tonight's Irish abortion referendum is likely to come down to the wire.

Voters in the conservative Catholic country are deciding whether to change their constitution to remove the eighth amendment, which effectively makes abortion illegal.

Polls show a narrowing gap with a slim majority supporting a change.

Euro News reporter Vincent McAviney told Larry Williams it could be days before we know the result.

"We think it's going to come really close when this vote is cast, they think it'll be that close that there will be a number of recounts."

Most older, rural and religious voters want to keep the ban in place.

But McAviney says the referendum is as much about culture as it is about religion and younger "cultural Catholics" have reservations about abortion as well.

"It's not just quite religious people or the elderly, it's a lot of young people, there is still a really big feeling of shame over abortion."

LISTEN ABOVE AS VINCENT MCAVINEY SPEAKS TO LARRY WILLIAMS