Down will support the deletion of Rule 21 in tomorrow's special congress at the City West Hotel in Dublin. The result, announced last night, is the most significant blow the ban has suffered in the recent weeks of debate on the issue.

Not alone is it the first time a cross-Border convention has voted to support deletion in the past few years, but it brings the Ulster total in favour of removal to four.

In other counts, Tyrone and Antrim voted to maintain the rule and bring to five the number of cross-Border counties that will line up to keep the provision on the books. The county lines up with Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh opposing abolition.

This means that Ulster will break four-five on the proposal to get rid of the prohibition on British security forces joining the association. Three years ago in the lead-up to the last special congress to consider deletion of the rule, Ulster voted unanimously against removal.

The result in Down tallies with the county's decision on the matter nearly seven years ago. In the aftermath of the original ceasefires in 1994, the county became the first cross-border unit in over 20 years to support repeal. Three years later Down swung back to defend the rule after an acrimonious campaign.

This time around Down polled the clubs in the county over a week ago and on the basis of one-vote-per-club passed the motion to support president Seβn McCague's move to delete the ban.

There was no indication given about the margin of the vote in Down but the margin on favour of retention in Antrim was said to be substantial.

In other votes announced last night, Longford and Meath came out in favour of removing the ban.

The Meath chairman, Fintan Ginnity, did not allow any discussion on the matter, and those present voted four to one to remove the rule.