Traditionally a country of emigration, rapid immigration during the economic boom has
meant that Ireland has become considerably more diverse in terms of national and ethnic
origin in recent decades. Increasing diversity can challenge existing ideas about national
identity and culture and may influence attitudes to immigrants and immigration. Using
evidence from the European Social Survey, this study considers whether attitudes to
immigration in Ireland have changed among the Irish-born population since 2002. Exploiting
a special module of the European Social Survey in 2014, it investigates Irish attitudes to
Muslims and Roma immigrants. The report also examines beliefs about racial and cultural
superiority among Irish people, and the quality and frequency of their contact with those of
a different race/ethnic group in 2014. The results for Ireland are compared with averages
from ten other West European countries to set Ireland in comparative context. Drawing on
theories of social identity, ethnic group competition and social contact, the report also
examines how such attitudes are formed – are they influenced by factors such as social
contact, attitudes to race/ethnicity, education and financial difficulties
