There is a terrible sense of déjà vu. Ireland’s entire political establishment is out campaigning for the Lisbon treaty. They are backed by business, the main trade unions and the media. Yet ordinary voters seem very tempted to join a grassroots revolt to reject it.

It was the same in the Danish referendums, on the Maastricht treaty in 1992 and then on joining the single currency in 2000. A popular revolt in 2003 saw the Swedes reject the euro, too. The French and Dutch gave their political leaders a bloody nose on the EU constitutional treaty in 2005.