‘Is it a New Allowance?’ Irish Entry to the EEC and Popular Opinion

Abstract

The rejection of the Lisbon treaty by the Irish electorate in June 2008 has led to a renewed questioning of Ireland's commitment to the ‘European project’. Since the original referendum on 11 May 1972 when the electorate voted by a massive 83 percent in favour of joining the EEC, Irish attitudes to European integration have become increasingly sceptical. In that context this article re‐evaluates public opinion at the time of the original referendum. Based on extensive original research, this article examines the levels of public knowledge and attitudes towards the EEC prior to the 1972 referendum, and suggests that despite the large yes vote, Irish people were less enthusiastic than this result implies and can more accurately be termed reluctant Europeans as the sense of inevitability of the outcome of a decade long process left them with little choice but to sign up for membership.

Notes

1. Comments of Andrew O'Rourke, witness seminar, Centre for Contemporary Irish History, TCD, 3 December 2003. Mr. O'Rourke was a senior official in the Department of Foreign Affairs at this time. The Commission on the Status of Women had been established by Charles Haughey in 1969, while the White Paper on membership was issued in January 1972.

2. Greater concern at government level about public opinion on Europe was evident prior to Nice with the setting up of the Task Force for Communicating Europe. Professor Richard Sinnott of UCD undertook an analysis of public opinion data for the task force, published as Knowledge of the European Union in Irish Public Opinion: Sources and Implications (1995).

3. For instance, Michael Yeats of Fianna Fáil regarded Garret FitzGerald's fondness for opinion polls as evidence that he was out of touch with ordinary people.

4. Copy in possession of the authors and available at the Centre for Contemporary Irish History, TCD.

5. See Dáil Debates, Vol. 199 cols. 1140–1142.

6. See for example P. Lyons, ‘EEC’, Ógra, 1(3) nd [1967], Centre for Contemporary Irish History, TCD.

7. See Clár, February 1970, February 1971, Centre for Contemporary Irish History, TCD.

8. National Archives of Ireland, Department of Foreign Affairs [hereafter NAI DFA], 2003/1/145 Runai Aire to Lynch's private secretary, 13 November 1970.

9. NAI DFA 2003/1/145 J.C. Nagle to Hugh McCann, 16 October 1970.

10. NAI DFA 2003/1/145 Draft of first booklet, 7 October 1970.

11. NAI DFA 2003/1/145 Eoin Neeson to Hillery, 27 November 1970.

12. Statement by Tony Keane to a meeting of the Fine Gael Dublin South East executive, n.d. (c. 26 July 1971). UCD Archives, Fine Gael papers, P39/C/D/ 176 (71).

13. Martin Reynolds to Cmdt. Sanfey, 14 February 1972. UCDA P39/C/D/187(249). Reynolds had proposed this as a motion for the party's May Ard Fheis but it had been rejected on account of having been submitted late.

14. Sanfey to Reynolds, 15 February 1972, UCDA P39/C/D/187(248).

15. Donal Carey, Clare County secretary of Fine Gael to Cmdt Sanfey, 28 February 1972. UCDA P39/C/CE/19 (40). See also Paddy O'Toole, Secretary East Mayo Constituency Executive to Cmdt. Sanfey, 20 April 1972. UCDA P39/C/MO/43 (18).

16. John O'Brien to Patrick Hillery, 6 November 1971. NAI DFA 2003/1/634.

17. The poll was commissioned by This Week magazine and looked at attitudes on contraception, divorce, membership of the EEC and support for the government. It surveyed 1,600 people aged over 16 years although only those over 21 years (n = 1,428) were asked about Europe. The results were published in This Week on 25 June and 2 July 1971.

18. NAI DFA 2003/1/633 Eilish MacCurtain to John F. Meagher, 5 November 1971.

19. NAI DFA 2003/1/633 Robin Fogarty to Robin Addis, 9 December 1971.

20. Of course, this is exactly what happened in the case of the Nice referendums (see Hayward, 2003, for discussion).

21. NAI, DFA, 2001/43/1139, Kennedy to Morrissey, 9 April 1970. For a fuller elucidation of this theme see Murphy (2001: 191–202).

22. NAI DFA 2003/1/325 Confidential note to Sec. DFA from Eamonn Kennedy, Ambassador, Bonn, 7 April 1970.

23. DFA to Robin Fogarty, 13 March, 1972. NAI DFA 2003/1/904.

24. Memorandum to the Minister by Robin Fogarty, 23 February 1972. NAI DFA 2003/1/633. Emphasis added.

25. Ibid.; see also Memorandum to the Minister by Robin Fogarty, 8 March 1972. NAI DFA 2003/1/633.

26. Unfortunately, the papers of the Fine Gael organisation held by UCD Archives do not contain material relating to the EEC referendum, although material for general, local and presidential elections are held there as are papers relating to the two electoral referendums. The bipartisan approach was not without its problems in Fianna Fáil either. One of the questions in its canvassers' catechism (‘At the door to Europe’) was ‘But Fine Gael supports it, so it must be bad’! In an era of significant voter loyalty and partisanship this was not easily answered.

27. See Minutes of the National Executive, UCDA, Fianna Fáil papers, P176/360.

28. Memo to Patrick Hillery, 17 April 1972. NAI DFA 2003/1/633.

29. Meeting of the referendum subcommittee, 1 May 1972. UCDA P176/927 (32).

30. Typescript notes for weekend speeches by TDs, UCDA P176/927 (39).

31. News release, 29 April 1972. NAI DFA 2003/1/633.

32. Dáil Debates, 2 May 1972, Vol. 260, col. 1260.

33. Dáil Debates, 2 May 1972, Vol. 260, col. 1261. Emphasis added.

34. Labour Party, AC minutes, 20 May 1970.

35. That O'Brien's book States of Ireland (1972), published contemporaneously with Ireland's accession, contained only two references to the EEC speaks volumes. His 1998 autobiography, Memoir. My Life and Themes, contains none.

36. Note by Eilis MacCurtain, 10 October 1973. NAI DFA 2003/1/633.