The day Europe became ‘home’

40 years ago today, Ireland joined the EEC. Richard Fitzpatrick revisits the referendum campaigns — and de Valera’s rueful regrets

WHEN Ireland joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, the country was in a fix financially. Its GDP per capita was 58% of the European average. It was no surprise, therefore, that much of the debate in the run-up to Ireland’s referendum on entry focused on jobs, food prices and the tapping of Europe’s regional funds.

There was no dissent at cabinet level about the decision to join, says Des O’Malley, who was Minister for Justice at the time in a Fianna Fáil government. “The advantages were obvious — access to a huge market, which we didn’t have before; very heavy support for agriculture; and a reduction in the level of dependence on trade with Britain, which was extremely high in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The advantages were seen way back by Sean Lemass, but we couldn’t go in without Britain.”