British demand for Irish passports has DOUBLED in the months since Brexit vote

THE number British residents applying for Irish passports has doubled since the Brexit referendum.

Between July and September there were 21,549 applications from Great Britain, compared with 10,959 in the same period last year - a rise of 97 per cent.

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Figures from Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs show the number increasing every month since the UK voted to quit the EU on June 23.

There was a 73 per cent rise in applications in July and 104 per cent increase in August.

Last month saw the biggest increase - 119 per cent - with 7,518 applications compared to 3,431 in September 2015.

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Anyone with an Irish-born parent or grandparent is entitled to an Irish passport - which includes an estimated six million British citizens.

Having dual nationality would allow Brits to keep hold of visa-free travel and work across the EU if restrictions are put in place as part of Brexit negotiations.

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Year-on-year applications from Northern Ireland have also risen by more than two-thirds since the referendum.

This year there have been 15,757 applications from people in Northern Ireland since July, compared with 9,401 in the same period last year.

Everyone from Northern Ireland is entitled to both British and Irish citizenship as a result of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

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