The IRAIrish Republican Army

1400 – Normans from England settle in Ireland

1495 – King Henry VII extends English law over Irish parliament

History of Ireland

Henry VIII tries to impose Anglican religion◦Roman Catholicism becomes linked with Irish

◦Refuse to accept Anglican Church

1560s – English suppress Irish revolt◦Queen Elizabeth I takes Irish lands and gives to English nobles

1660 – English law prevails over Ireland

1798 – failed Irish revolt Jan 1, 1801 – Irish relinquish own parliament◦United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland formed

Beginning of the Current Conflict

1841 – 1851 – Irish potato famine◦Population in Ireland decreases by 1.6 million

◦Famine, disease, emigration◦British do little to help Irish◦Animosity grows

Following famine, Catholics in Ireland demand national self-government◦Gain power in Parliament established in Ireland

May 1914 – Government of Ireland Act passed◦British grant Irish home rule status◦August 1914 – postponed because of WWI

Growth in Call for Home Rule

1916 – first Irish nationalist militia formed◦Fought Irish unionist militias that supported British

1916-1919 – First Irish Civil War

Government of Ireland Act of 1920◦Partitioned Ireland◦Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland◦Led to civil war

Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1921◦Dec 6◦Northern Ireland given option to remain part of UK

◦Created Irish Free State in the south

Constitution of Ireland ◦Dec. 29, 1937◦Creates Republic of Ireland

Provisional Irish Republican ArmyDecember 1969 split of IRAAim is to remove Northern Ireland from UK

Bring about a united Ireland◦Force of arms and political persuasion

Strategy◦Use force to cause collapse of N. Ireland gov’t

◦Inflict casualties on British forces Enough for Parliament to remove troops

January 11, 1970 – Sinn Fein splits◦Supporters of new PIRA◦PIRA suspicious of political activity◦Argued for more use of armed struggle

Escalate, Escalate, EscalatePIRA took cues from “Old IRA”Recruit high numbers of volunteers

Carry out attacks on British forces◦Bombing campaing against economic targets

Goal is “Victory 1972”“Victory 1974”

Bloody Sunday Aka Bogside Massacre January 30, 1972 – Bogside, Derry, N. Ireland

N. Ireland Civil Rights Assoiciation march

26 unarmed protestors and bystanders shot by British Army◦13 men die◦5 shot in the back◦2 run down by vehicles

Mid-1970s, hope for quick victory receded

PIRA meets with N. Ireland gov’t◦PIRA leaders Ruairi O Bradaigh and Billy Mckee

◦N. Ireland Secretary of State Merlyn Rees

Ceasefire signed – begins February 1975◦IRA believed start of British withdrawal◦Concluded that Rees was trying to bring them to peaceful politics without any guarantees

Gerry Adams emerges as critic of IRA◦Ceasefire disastrous for IRA◦Led to infiltration of British informers◦Arrest of activitists◦Breakdown in IRA discipline and feud w/ Official IRA

Ceasefire breaks down in January 1976

The Long War Strategy

IRA comes under direction of Gerry Adams and his supporters

IRA reorganized to small cells◦Accepted that campaign would last many years

Greater emphasis on use of Sinn Fein

1. War of attrition ◦ Cause as many deaths as possible

2. Bombing campaign aimed at financial sites

3. Make the 6 Counties ungovernable except through military rule

4. Sustain war and gain through propaganda

5. Punish criminals, collaborators, informers

1981 Hunger StrikeSeven IRA and 3 Liberation Army members

Starve themselves to death in pursuit of political status◦Led by Bobby Sands and Own Carron◦Elected to British Parliament

Brought more focus to plight of IRA and use of political

activism

TUAS

Republican leaders look for political compromise◦Social and Democratic Labour Party leader John Hume secretly meets w/Gerry Adams and British leaders

◦Adams moves Sinn Fein away from IRA

◦Tactical Use of Armed Struggle◦Totally Unarmed Strategy

1994 Ceasefire called by IRA◦Conditional upon inclusion of Sinn Fein in

political talks February 1996 ceasefire ends until July 1997◦Sinn Fein ignored

Ceasefire of 1997 leads to Belfast Agreement

Belfast Agreement 1998

Good Friday Agreement◦British and Irish governments◦All paramilitary groups in N. Ireland cease activities and disarm by May 2000

IRA doesn’t trust British Parliament◦2002 breaks off deal

Jan 2005 – IRA withdraws from disarmament process

July 2005 – IRA declares campaign of violence is over

July 28, 2005 IRA Army Council announces end to armed campaign◦Instructed members to dump weapons◦IRA would not engage in "any other activities whatsoever apart from assisting in the development of purely political and democratic programs through exclusively peaceful means”

Sept 25, 2005 – international weapons inspectors supervise full disarmament of IRA