Third Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland

Third Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland

10 May 1972 (1972-05-10)
To permit the state to join the European Communities
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 1,041,890 83.10% No 211,891 16.90% Valid votes 1,253,781 99.17% Invalid or blank votes 10,497 0.83% Total votes 1,264,278 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 1,783,604 70.88%

The Third Amendment of the Constitution Act 1972 is an amendment to the Constitution of Ireland that permitted the State to join the European Communities, which would later become the European Union, and provided that European Community law would take precedence over the constitution. It was approved by referendum on 10 May 1972, and signed into law by the President of Ireland Éamon de Valera on 8 June of the same year.

The incorporation of the law of the European Communities into Irish domestic law was put into effect by the European Communities Act 1972, which became law on the day Ireland acceded to the European Communities on 1 January 1973.