In May 2015, an ex-IRA commander was murdered on the street, followed by several IRA bombings.
This violence signals that the fight over Northern Ireland’s independence is not yet
over.
For nearly a century, the Irish Republican Army has been terrorizing Ireland.
So, what is the IRA, and what do they want for Northern Ireland?
Well, the IRA is an organization most closely associated with militant Irish nationalism.
They are known for their guerrilla warfare tactics in support of freeing Northern Ireland
from the United Kingdom.
Between 1968 and 1998, in a period known as “The Troubles”, over 3,600 people were
killed, and up to 50,000 more were injured through bombings and attacks.
The original IRA began in 1917 as a volunteer Irish army.
In 1921, they won independence from the UK for most of the island of Ireland.
However, a small portion of the island, Northern Ireland, remained under British control per
the war’s peace treaty.
Some IRA members were not satisfied with this arrangement, and in 1922, a new IRA was formed.
This IRA was pitted not only against the British, but also against former IRA members who had
agreed to the new deal.
Throughout the 20th century, the IRA reformulated several times, changing their name to: the
“Official IRA”, the “Provisional IRA”, the “Continuity IRA” and the “Real IRA”.
They are thought to contain hundreds of members in small groups around the country, and have
potentially thousands of sympathizers.
The militant group is also closely associated with the oldest and most popular political
movement in Ireland, called “Sinn Féin”.
In fact, the current president of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, was on the US’s terrorist watch
list until 2006.
Several infamous outbreaks of violence have been attributed to both IRA members and opposing
British soldiers.
One of the most well known incidents was “Bloody Sunday” in 1972.
British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of unarmed Irish protesters, killing 14 people.
Despite the presence of the IRA, in recent referendums, it’s acknowledged that most
people in Northern Ireland want to remain a part of the UK.
But at the same time, a significant portion of Northern Ireland, as well as Ireland itself,
are in favor of a united, independent Ireland.
In 1973, a majority of residents voted to stay within the United Kingdom.
However, the IRA movement has been reluctant to stop terrorist actions.
In 2014 alone, there were roughly 7 bombing incidents attributed to IRA groups.
If you’re interested in learning more about Ireland and its standing in the world, check
out our video How Powerful is Ireland, up next!
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