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! Thanks for watching TestTube! please

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