Flying Column No. 2 of the3rd Tipperary Brigade of theOld IRA, photographed during the early 1920s. All organisations calling themselves "Irish Republican Army" claim legitimate descent (sometimes compared toapostolic succession) from this IRA of 1919–22.
TheIrish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by variousresistance organisations inIreland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantlyCatholic and dedicated toanti-imperialism throughIrish republicanism, the belief that all ofIreland should be an independent republic free from British colonial rule.[1]
In the century that followed, the original IRA was reorganised, changed and split on multiple occasions, to such a degree that many subsequent paramilitary organisations have been known by that title – most notably theProvisional Irish Republican Army, which was a key participant duringthe Troubles in Northern Ireland. The contemporary IRA organisations each claim the sole right to the name, each insisting they are the original IRA's only legitimate descendant.
The playwright and former IRA memberBrendan Behan once said that the first issue on any Irish organisation's agenda was "the split".[3] For the IRA, that has often been the case. The first split came after theAnglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, with supporters of the Treaty forming the nucleus of theNational Army of the newly createdIrish Free State, while the anti-treaty forces continued to use the nameIrish Republican Army. After the end of theIrish Civil War (1922–23), the IRA experienced varying relevancy and success. In 1969 the IRA split into theOfficial IRA and theProvisional IRA. The latter then had its own breakaways, namely theReal IRA and theContinuity IRA, each claiming to be the true successor of the Army of theIrish Republic.
TheIrish Republican Army (1919–1922), known as the "Old IRA", in later years, was recognised by theFirst Dáil as the legitimate army of the Irish Republic in April 1921 due to the fact that it had fought in theIrish War of Independence. On ratification of theAnglo-Irish Treaty by the Dáil, it split into pro-Treaty forces, the National Army, also known as the "Government forces" or the "Regulars",[4] and anti-Treaty forces, "Republicans", "Irregulars" or "Executive forces" after the Treaty. These two forces went on to fight theIrish Civil War.
TheOfficial IRA (OIRA), the remainder of the IRA after the 1969 split from the Provisionals, was primarilyMarxist in its political orientation. It is now inactive, while its political wing, Official Sinn Féin, became theWorkers' Party (Ireland).
TheProvisional IRA (PIRA) broke from the OIRA in 1969 due toabstentionism and differing views on how to deal with the increasing violence in Northern Ireland. Although it opposed the OIRA's Marxism, it came to develop aleft-wing orientation and it also increased its political activity.
In April 2011, former members of the Provisional IRA announced a resumption of hostilities, and that "they had now taken on the mantle of the mainstream IRA". They further claimed; "We continue to do so under the name of the Irish Republican Army. We are the IRA" and insisted that they "were entirely separate from the Real IRA,Óglaigh na hÉireann (ONH) and the Continuity IRA". They claimed responsibility for the April assassination ofPSNI constableRonan Kerr as well as responsibility for other attacks that had previously been claimed by the Real IRA and ONH.[5]
TheNew IRA, which was formed as a merger between the Real IRA and other republican groups in 2012 (seeReal IRA).
That part of the IRA that accepted the compromise of the 1921 treaty which established theIrish Free State and that became the initial Free State government. The pro-treaty faction of Sinn Féin led byArthur Griffith, Lachlan Lawrence andMichael Collins shortly thereafter formed itself into theCumann na nGaedheal party underW. T. Cosgrave. With additional recruits, its military supporters became theNational Army, later known as theIrish Defence Forces. Cumann na nGaedheal merged with other groups in 1933 to formFine Gael Party, currently the third largest party in theRepublic of Ireland.
That part of the original IRA organised withinNorthern Ireland not included within the Free State (see below).
That part of the IRA, organised within the twenty-six counties that became the Free State, which rejected the compromise of the 1921 treaty with Britain. UnderLiam Lynch, it fought theIrish Civil War against the Free State's National Army (led byMichael Collins), with the support of the anti-treaty faction of Sinn Féin led byÉamon de Valera.[6]
Some years after losing the Civil War a faction led by de Valera resigned fromSinn Féin and established theFianna Fáil party in 1926, which is among the largest parties in theRepublic of Ireland.
In the 1930s, the remainder of the IRA, including that part of the Old IRA organised within Northern Ireland, attempted abombing campaign in Britain, acampaign in Northern Ireland (after a change in leadership to the north) andsome military activities in the Free State (later the Republic of Ireland). After a period of poor relations, the symbiotic relationship between Sinn Féin and the IRA was re-established in the late 1930s.[citation needed]
By the 1960s, after the failedborder campaign, Sinn Féin moved towards aMarxistclass struggle outlook. With the outbreak ofthe Troubles, Sinn Féin, or as it came to be called after the formation of the Provisional IRA and Provisional Sinn Féin,Official IRA /Official Sinn Féin, found itself sidelined because of its decision not to engage the British state militarily. Over time the Official IRA faded away, while Official Sinn Féin moved to a purely Marxist position, renaming itself first Sinn Féin the Workers Party, and then in 1982 theWorkers' Party.
In 1992, the Workers' Party suffered a split when a majority faction failed to secure changes. They left and formed theDemocratic Left. Ultimately, the Democratic Left merged into theLabour Party.
In 1969, the more traditionalist republican members split off into theProvisional IRA andSinn Féin. The Provisional IRA operated mostly in Northern Ireland, using violence against theRoyal Ulster Constabulary and theBritish Army, and British institutions and economic targets. They also killed members of the Irish Army and theGarda Síochána (the Republic's police force), which was against one of theirstanding orders.
A further split occurred in 1986 when the former leader of Sinn FéinRuairí Ó Brádaigh – who was replaced byGerry Adams in 1983 – walked out of the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis after delegates voted to end the policy ofabstentionism fromDáil Éireann. The followers of Ó Brádaigh, who adhere torepublican legitimatism and oppose Sinn Féin's decision to abandon abstentionism, set up a rival party and military wing calledRepublican Sinn Féin and theContinuity IRA.
In 1997, Members of the Provisional IRA who did not accept the peace process split off to form theReal IRA. Its political wing is the32 County Sovereignty Movement.
In 2011, according to theBelfast Telegraph, former members of the Provisional IRA announced a resumption of hostilities under the name "Irish Republican Army".[citation needed]
Bell, J. Bower, The Secret Army. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. 1997.ISBN1560009012.
Cronin, Sean,The Ideology of the IRA (Ann Arbor 1972)
Hart, Peter,IRA at War 1916–1923 (Oxford 2003)
Hart, P,The IRA and its Enemies: Violence and Community in Cork 1916–1923 (Oxford 1998)
Joy, Sinead,The IRA in Kerry 1916–1921 (Cork 2005)
Liebknecht, Karl,Militarism and Anti-Militarism (1907); an English translation (Cambridge 1973).
Martin, F.X., (ed.)Irish Volunteers 1914–1915. Recollections and Documents (Dublin 1963)
O'Ruairc, Padraig Og,Blood on the Banner: The Republican Struggle in Clare 1913–1923 (Cork 2009)
Ryan, Meda,Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter (Cork 2005)
Townshend, Charles, 'The Irish Republican Army and the Development of Guerrilla Warfare 1916–21',English Historical Review 94 (1971), pp. 318–345.
W?,With the IRA in the Fight For Freedom (London 1968)
Nolan, Cillian,The IRA True History 1922–1969 (Kerry 1985)
Trigg, Jonathan (2023).Death in the Fields: The IRA and East Tyrone. Ireland: Merrion Press.
Index of articles associated with the same name
Thisset index article includes a list of related items that share the same name (or similar names). If aninternal link incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
