The number of applications for Irish passports is out of control

Britain's decision to leave the European Union on Thursday appears to have resulted in a massive rush for Irish passports - and demand is outweighing supply.

Ireland's EU status, of course, is not affected by Thursday's Brexit vote, and many Britons will see it as the next best option to a UK that is not in the EU.

Dan Whitehead, a news correspondent for TV networks, tweeted on Tuesday: "Official at Irish Passport Office in London tells me they are forecasting 1 million new passport applications (total) #Brexit"

The news follows an announcement by Google Trends on Friday that searches for "how to get an Irish passport" spiked by over 100% just after the referendum result was announced.

But the demand is not just related to England: a post office just over the border in Belfast, Northern Ireland - which, like Scotland, voted overwhelming to stay in the EU - reported running out of Irish passports, forcing it to put up an apology notice :

 

Irish passport demand has reached such a critical mass that Ireland's foreign minister Charlie Flanagan has asked Britons to stop making applications to avoid overwhelming the consular offices:

"The increased interest clearly points to a sense of concern among some UK passport holders that the rights they enjoy as EU citizens are about to abruptly end. I want to state clearly that this is not the case."

But it may be a while before new Irish citizens will need to move there. According to a constitutional expert, Article 50 - the mechanism under the Lisbon Treaty in which a country tells the European Union it is leaving the bloc and thereby gives a two-year notice period - is unlikely to be triggered until well after a General Election.