Irish Republican Army

Irish Republican Army (IRA) Terrorist organization fighting for a unified republican Ireland. Originally created by the FENIAN Brotherhood in the USA, it was revived by SINN FEIN in 1919 as a nationalist armed force. Its first commander in Ireland was Michael COLLINS and at one time Sean McBride was chief of staff. Since its establishment the IRA has been able to rely on support from sympathizers in the Irish-American community. Bomb explosions for which the IRA was held responsible occurred in England in 1939 and hundreds of its members were imprisoned. During World War II many more members were interned without trial in Ireland. In 1956 violence erupted in NORTHERN IRELAND and the IRA performed a series of border raids. Following violence against civil rights demonstrators and nationalists by both the IRA and ULSTER UNIONISTS, the IRA split into Provisional and Official wings (1969). The Provisional IRA (PIRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) have in recent years staged demonstrations, assassinations, and bombings in both Northern Ireland and Britain. These include the murder of Lord Mountbatten and the British MP Airey Neave in 1979, a bomb attack on the entire British cabinet in Brighton in 1984, a bombing in Enniskillen on Remembrance Day 1987, attacks on British military bases in England and Germany in 1989, the murder of Ian Gow MP in 1990, mortar attacks on Downing Street (1991) and on Heathrow Airport (1994), a bomb in the City of London (1992), and another in Warrington in 1993. In August 1994 the IRA announced a complete cessation of its military operations, following peace initiatives by the British and Irish governments and by Northern Ireland politicians. The issue of decommissioning IRA weapons became a stumbling block in 1995 in the progress towards all-party talks on a lasting peace settlement for Northern Ireland. The ceasefire broke down in 1995, with the resumption of IRA bombing campaigns in mainland Britain, notably in London Docklands and Manchester. The absence of ceasefire agreements resulted in the exclusion of Sinn Fein from peace talks in mid-1996. After a further ceasefire, Sinn Fein joined resumed peace talks in 1997. In 1998 the GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT was signed but decommissioning, release of prisoners, and outbreaks of violence have continued to hinder the peace process.