border campaign

border campaign, an Irish Republican Army campaign in Northern Ireland 1956–62, also known as Operation Harvest, which was the code name for the original somewhat over‐ambitious battle plan. Operations started on 11 December 1956 when three IRA flying columns infiltrated Northern Ireland from the Republic. Their targets consisted of British army depots and centres of administration. Hopes that their actions would be taken up by local Volunteers were never fully realized. The enthusiasm which had been generated by the IRA's arms raids in 1954–5 had given its leadership the false impression that their use of force was widely supported. This was confirmed by the response to their first few operations. A public outburst of sympathy in the Republic followed the death of three southern Volunteers in operations in the north. The public imagination was particularly captured by Sean south, killed in an attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks at Brookeborough, Co.Fermanagh, on New Year's Day 1957. His funeral in Limerick attracted tens of thousands of mourners. This enthusiasm resulted in some good electoral results for Sinn Féin in 1957, but the IRA soon found out that support for the use of force among the nationalist community north and south was limited, and that hostility amongst unionists was far larger than they had anticipated.

Most operations were concentrated in the first couple of years. The campaign then fizzled out as a result of the harsh measures, including internment, taken by both Irish governments. In 1957 there were 341 recorded incidents, but by 1959 this was reduced to 27. The campaign was officially called off in February 1962 due to a lack of public support. The emphasis on material targets is reflected in the fairly low casualty figures. In the entire period six RUC, eight IRA men, two republican civilians, and two members of a rival republican organization were killed, while 32 members of the crown forces were injured.

Joost Augusteijn