Print CONSTITUTIONOFIRELANDEnacted by the People 1st July, 1937
In operation as from 29th December, 1937
This text of the Constitution is a copy of the text enrolled on 27 May, 1999 pursuant to Article 25.5.2° except that:the Transitory Provisions (Articles 51-63) are omitted as required by their terms; the Irish text has been altered so as to make it conform to modern standardized Irish; the twentieth amendment, enacted subsequent to enrolment, is incorporated; the new Articles 2 and 3 and the new section 8 in Article 29 are inserted pursuant to the provisions of the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1998. Amendments effected since the Constitution was enacted in 1937 up to the time of printing of this edition (December 1999) are listed below.In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,
We, the people of Éire,
Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,
Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation,
And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations,
Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.
THENATION
Article 1
The Irish nation hereby affirms its inalienable, indefeasible, and sovereign right to choose its own form of Government, to determine its relations with other nations, and to develop its life, political, economic and cultural, in accordance with its own genius and traditions.Article 2
It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish Nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage.Article 3
It is the firm will of the Irish Nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territoryof the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Irelandshall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democraticallyexpressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established bythis Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament thatexisted immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.Institutions with executive powers and functions that are shared between those jurisdictions may be establishedby their respective responsible authorities for stated purposes and may excercise powers and functions in respectof all or any part of the island.THESTATE
Article 9
On the coming into operation of this Constitution any person who was a citizen of Saorstát Éireann immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution shall become and be a citizen of Ireland.
2° The future acquisition and loss of Irish nationality and citizenship shall be determined in accordance with law.3° No person may be excluded from Irish nationality and citizenship by reason of the sex of such person.Fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State are fundamental political duties of all citizens.