Irish Republican Army

Origins

When the IRA was originally formed, all of Ireland was a British colony. The majority of Ireland's population was Roman Catholic, Celtic, and nationalist—that is, desirous of independence. In the northeastern part of the country, however, the majority of the population was Protestant, of British or Scots descent, and intent on remaining part of Great Britain.

Under the leadership of Michael Collins, the IRA successfully instigated the Anglo-Irish War (1919–1921). The peace treaty that followed called for Ireland's partition: 26 Irish counties would become the largely independent Irish Free State, while the remaining 6 northeastern counties (Amtrim, Down, Fermagh, Armagh, Derry, and Tyrone) would become the province of Northern Ireland (also called Ulster) and be governed by a special parliament in Belfast.

A great number of IRA members were dissatisfied with the treaty—they wanted all 32 counties to be included in the Irish Republic. A civil war between the pro- and anti-treaty forces was fought during 1922–1923. The pro-treaty forces were victorious, but the IRA remained viable, although membership and activities gradually declined. The contemporary IRA regards itself as a continuation of the organization begun in 1919, with the same goal—a 32-county Irish Republic.

Revival of the IRA

Catholics were widely discriminated against in Protestant-dominated Northern Ireland, most notably in the arrangement of voting districts, distribution of public housing, and employment, particularly in the civil service. In 1967, inspired by the civil rights movement in the United States, the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) was formed to agitate on behalf of Catholic rights.

Many Protestants (also called Unionists or Loyalists) felt that NICRA's protest marches and sit-ins were merely a covert method of stirring up Republican sentiment. They began to organize counter marches and protests. During 1968–1969, marches by both sides sparked riots. On August 12, 1969, a Protestant march in the city of Derry incited a three-day riot. The violence spread throughout the province and was particularly vicious in Belfast, where six people died and Catholic homes were burned. British troops were called in to restore the peace.

The IRA made a lackluster showing as a Catholic defense force during the riots; Indeed, the Catholic population warmly welcomed the British troops, viewing them as their only protection from the Protestant mobs and local police force, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). A crisis ensued within the IRA's depleted ranks. At a meeting of the leadership in late 1969, the organization split. One faction became the Official IRA, which was dedicated to accumulating political power that could be openly exercised. The Official IRA declared a cease-fire in 1972 and has largely been [Page 305]inactive since then (the cease-fire spawned the Irish National Liberation Army).

The second faction called itself the Provisional IRA, because its leadership and structure had not been formally codified. The Provisionals (also known as Provos or the PIRA) were committed to a military struggle as the only solution to Northern Ireland's conflict. They adopted many of the same structures as the 1919 IRA, instituting a governing body called the Army Council, organizing their forces into brigades (one for each county), which were further subdivided into battalions and companies, and associating with a political party called Sinn Féin, which had been associated with the original IRA.

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