The Irish Replubican Army Essay Research Paper

The Irish Replubican Army Essay, Research Paper

The History

The Irish Republican Army, organized to help fight for the integration of Ireland as a complete and independent country. Micheal Collins organized it from the left over of rebels who rebelled on Easter of 1916. Armed groups known as the Irish Volunteers and the Citizen Army staged a rebellion in Dublin to show that they wanted a free and independent Ireland from the UK. It was unsuccessful; during the attack British soldiers killed 14 rebels. With this event gone bad it sparked an even stronger desire for independence among the Irish people. Thus they formed the political group known as Sinn F in. (shin fane)

In the election of 1918 Sinn F in put up a candidate for every Irish seat in the British Parliament and won 73 seats. To protest British rule over Ireland, the elected members declined to go to Westminster. Instead, they set up an Irish assembly in Dublin, called the D il +ireann, which declared Irish independence. The British attempted to suppress terrorists, led by Michael Collins, by a policy of counter terror and sent a body of military irregulars, popularly known as the Black and Tans, to reestablish order. The general public rallied to Sinn F in.

During the troubled early years of the Free State, the IRA was responsible for numerous bombings, raids, and street battles on both sides of the Irish Border. Then in 1932 Eamon De Valera a former IRA supporter that was born in New York and moved to Ireland and was jailed and escaped from prison took over the Free State government. Weakened by internal fighting and by the loss of the popular support because the Germans were starting to become a strong threat in Europe. The IRA declined, but it was still alive in many people s hearts. This brought it down to the underground. The group perpetrated bombing attacks in Belfast, London and in cities surrounding the border to Northern Ireland during the 1950s, but then the group became less active until the late 1960s.

Then in 1969 with the IRA still alive and fighting the group split into two groups. One side was the majority or officials, who wanted a more united country calling a stop to all terrorist activities while still remaining to the cause that all of Ireland should be independent from England. The other half was called the provisionals, claiming terrorism as a necessary means for unification. And with the IRA split into two groups this ment the return of the Sinn F in political group to the Irish scene. Sinn F in was the provisionals side of the IRA.

Then on January 30 1972 during a civil rights march in Derry involving thousands of people, British troops shot dead thirteen Roman Catholics. (A British inquiry will later pardon the soldiers suggesting the demonstrators were terrorists linked to the IRA. Decades later, the British government concedes the demonstrators were innocent; a new investigation is under way in 1999.) This date became known as Bloody Sunday (which later became the title to a U2 hit song). Then about six months later on July 21 1972 the IRA sets off 26 car bombs in Belfast killing nine people and injuring 130.

Then one month later Lord Mountbatten, uncle of Queen Elizabeth II, is murdered along with three others when an IRA bomb blew up his boat. Then they also tried to assassinate the Prime Minister at the time Margaret Thatcher, but that attempt was unsuccessful.

In 1994 talks of peace were buzzing around England as to when the IRA would declare a cease-fire. Sinn F in soon began participating in talks with Britain in 1995. But they couldn t continue to negotiate because terrorism was not helping, with car bombs and street battles just about a daily site in the streets of Belfast and London Sinn F in was not allowed to negotiate. But when the IRA finally announced a cease-fire in July 1997 they were allowed to participate in the talks that convened in September. This resulted in an agreement that provided for a new Northern Ireland Assembly. With the agreement reached it was known as the good Friday accord because it was reached on Good Friday. Which by coincidently was pushed along with the help of Bill Clinton.

Here are some of the details of the accord.

The Northern Ireland accord will create three interconnected bodies of government within Northern Ireland, between the North and rest of Ireland, and between the Irish Republic and United Kingdom as a whole.

NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

Elections in June for a 108-seat assembly at Stormont, former center of a Protestant-dominated parliament abolished in 1972. Checks and balances require Protestants and Catholics to share power and responsibilities.

Powers now administered by Britain’s Northern Ireland Office will not be handed back to local politicians until early 1999 — and only if the assembly members agree on how to participate in the North-South Council.

NORTH-SOUTH COUNCIL

A forum for ministers from the Irish Republic’s government to promote joint policy-making with the new Northern Ireland assembly. Areas of potential common interest include agriculture, transportation links, policing and relations with the European Union. Will have powers to implement all-Ireland policies — but only with the approval of both the Northern Ireland assembly and the Irish parliament in Dublin.

EAST-WEST COUNCIL