The UN estimate for 2016 suggests just over 500,000 Irish in the UK and around 10% of the UK population are able to claim Irish citizenship by virtue of having at least one Irish grandparent. Britain and Ireland have allowed unfettered travel and residence under the CTA long before the EU was even dreamed of.

Citizens of Ireland and the United Kingdom living in each other’s countries will not have to apply for residency rights to protect existing social and travel entitlements, the foreign office in London has confirmed.

The agreement reached in Brussels earlier this month(Dec.2017) “means the rights of Irish and British citizens under the Common Travel Area (CTA) are protected after the UK leaves the EU”, the foreign office declared.