Back to the Future: Ireland and the EU at 50

The 10th of May 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Irish referendum in 1972, in which 83.1% voted to approve Ireland’s accession to the European Economic Communities (EEC). This was Ireland’s third attempt following two previous applications in 1961 and 1967. Accession was supported by the then-Fianna Fáil government under Taoiseach Jack Lynch, by Fine Gael in opposition under Liam Cosgrave, as well as by business interests and farmers’ associations. It was opposed at the time by the Labour Party and by both the Official and Provisional Sinn Féin parties over workers’ concerns, and the question of Irish sovereignty in relation to Northern Ireland. President Eamon De Valera was also opposed to EEC membership on similar grounds.  Ireland’s journey to EEC membership was intertwined with the UK due to strong pre-existing economic links. Ireland’s first application in tandem with the UK in 1961 was stymied by UK concerns about the Common Market and the preferential trade agreements within the Commonwealth, and French worries about liberalising agricultural production, which ultimately led to a veto by French President De Gaulle in 1963. Ireland’s second attempt in 1967 was again defeated after a second De Gaulle veto.  Following De Gaulle’s resignation in 1969 and the December 1969 Hague Summit which set the stage for negotiations between “the Six” and the four applicants: Ireland, the UK, Norway, and Denmark beginning in 1970 and concluding in membership for Ireland, the UK, and Denmark.  The outcome of the 1972 referendum was overwhelming positive, with every constituency and 83.1% of voters voting in favour of joining the EEC. This decision paved the way to incorporate European law into Irish domestic legislation and ensure compatibility with the Constitution of Ireland.  Concerns over agricultural policy, industrial development, social equality, defence, and security arose during the referendum campaign and were then, as now, critical policy debates in Irish public life. The international environment was also complex, with rising inflation, political tensions between the United States and Soviet Union, and a looming energy crisis all causing instability. Nonetheless, the Irish people voted to join the EEC set the stage for a profound transformation at home and abroad.  This interview is part of the IIEA’s Global Europe project, sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which recounts and reflects on the 1972 referendum campaign with Katherine Meenan, Alan Dukes, and Tony Brown.