ABSTRACT
On 11 June 2004, in response to anxieties arising from non-white immigration,1 the electorate of the Republic of Ireland voted in a referendum to change Article 9 of the Irish Constitution, which concerns entitlement to Irish citizenship. With approximately 80 per cent electoral support, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution changed Article 9 to read:
9.2.1 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, a person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, who does not have, at the time of his or her birth, at least one parent who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen is not entitled to Irish citizenship or nationality, unless otherwise provided for by law.
