Ireland will do all it can to maintain the country's decades-old common travel area with Britain during the UK's withdrawal negotiations from the European Union, Prime Minister Enda Kenny said.

"The Irish government will do our utmost in upcoming discussions to maintain the Common Travel Area and minimise any possible disruptions to the flow of people, goods and services between these islands," Prime Minister Enda Kenny told a news conference.

Kenny said the implications of Britain's vote to leave on Northern Ireland will require careful consideration and that there were much more serious issues to deal with than calls by Sinn Fein, the largest nationalist party in the province, for a poll on a united Ireland.