The rejection of the Lisbon treaty by the Irish electorate in June 2008 has led to a renewed questioning of Ireland's commitment to the 'European project'. Since the original referendum on 11 May 1972 when the electorate voted by a massive 83 percent in favour of joining the EEC, Irish attitudes to European integration have become increasingly sceptical. In that context this article re-evaluates public opinion at the time of the original referendum. Based on extensive original research, this article examines the levels of public knowledge and attitudes towards the EEC prior to the 1972 referendum, and suggests that despite the large yes vote, Irish people were less enthusiastic than this result implies and can more accurately be termed reluctant Europeans as the sense of inevitability of the outcome of a decade long process left them with little choice but to sign up for membership.