The Irish Republican Army
WHAT IS THE IRA AND WHAT HAS IT FOUGHT FOR?
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is the name that has been used by a number of paramilitary groups in Ireland and Northern Ireland, all with the aim of ending British rule and establishing an independent republic within a unified Ireland. Willing to use violence – even regarding it a necessary tactic – the IRA has been classified as illegal and a terrorist organisation by the British and Irish authorities.
WHEN WAS THE IRA FORMED?
The movement for ‘home rule’, or self-government of Ireland, gained momentum in the 19th century, and gave way to revolutionary efforts in the 20th century. Following the Easter Rising of 1916 – a failed uprising in Dublin against British rule – existing paramilitary groups such as the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army were succeeded by a new group, the IRA, in 1919.
WHAT DOES SINN FÉIN HAVE TO DO WITH THE IRA?
Today, Sinn Féin is one of the largest political parties in Northern Ireland.
