Brief history of the IRA/Northern Ireland
the path | 24.10.2001 10:43
I thought I would write this because you get a lot of UK people asking about whats going on in the North.
Q. What happened last night?
A. The historic announcement by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) last night means that the huge stumbling block to the peace process in Northern Ireland of the decommissioning of illegal weapons, now appears to be over.
Q. OK, but to be honest I dont really understand whats going on in Northern Ireland. Can you tell me briefly what its all about?
A. Hmm. OK, well the start of the present conflict originates hundreds of years ago. In Oliver Cromwell's time, which was the early 1600's, the ruling British aristocracy was having problems keeping Ireland under its control. So to try and quell rebellion, and to make the country more a part of the UK, a mass movement of British people was encouraged under a scheme called Plantations. British people were offered land in parts of Ireland (taken from the Irish people themselves), if they agreed to settle there.
The Plantations didnt work so well in Munster and other parts of the south. Many of the "planters" returned home after several years, although some stayed (and more land was given to them). In Ulster, the northern province where the land was most fertile, the Plantation worked well, and the English settlers stayed. These planters in Ulster were Protestants.
Q. That's hundreds of years ago, can you bring me more up to date?
A. Well, criminally skipping over events like the failed 1798 rebellion, the Irish famine of 1845-50, and the Land War in the 1880's, a new wave of Irish nationalism began with the "98 clubs" which sprang up in 1898, to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of 1798. These were cultural and political clubs with a decidedly nationalist/republican slant, focusing on the Irish language, dancing, sports (GAA), writing, etc. The birth of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, can be traced to these.
Q. What happened in 1916?
A. Before the 1916 "Easter Rising", there was a moderate, nationalist Irish party operating in the UK House of Commons. But a small group of republicans felt that the moderates were achieveing nothing, so during WWI, they decided to fight an armed uprising in the centre of Dublin. There were several groups involved, including the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood, a forerunner to the IRA) and the ICA (left wing Irish Citizen Army, with trade union links). A new republic was proclaimed from the General Post Office in O'Connell Street, and armed units took over strategic positions. The insurrectionists only numbered approximately a thousand.
Q. Did they get what they were fighting for?
A. No. Their rebellion was crushed by the British authorities. When the rebellion was over, the insurrectionists were shipped off to English prisons, pelted with stones and eggs by Irish people, who were angry with them for their part in destroying the capital. The leaders of the insurrection who had signed their proclamation/manifesto were executed in jail.
After the executions, the tide turned with the insurrectionists. People were angry with the British government with their treatment of the prisoners, and in 1918 after WWI was over, the prisoners were returned home to cheering crowds, welcomed as heroes.
Q. But Ireland was still under British rule.
A. Yes, and after building up armed groups all over the country (the IRA), the Irish War of Independence started in 1919 and lasted until 1921, when a settlement was reached with the British Government, which would be known as the Treaty.
Q. What was the settlement?
A. That the southern part of Ireland, the '26 counties', was to be given full independence, but a new state was to be created in 6 counties of Ulster, called Northern Ireland. This would remain under the rule of Britain.
Q. Why was Ireland split in two this way?
A. Because a large amount of the people in Ulster did not consider themselves Irish. They were British protestants, and their ancestors were the settlers from the Plantation in the mid 1600's. They did not want to be a part of an independent Ireland, they wished to remain under British rule.
Q. Ah I see. So that's when "Northern Ireland" was born. So after the Treaty was signed, what happened?
A. There was a civil war in Ireland between pro and anti Treaty forces which tore the country apart. Nothern Ireland remained as it was under the Treaty, and it became a "Protestant State for a Protestant people". For nearly 50 years, the Irish Catholic population in the 6 counties were discriminated against. There was widespread political corruption ("gerrymandering"), they were given poor housing, health facilities and education, and unemployment was rife.
Q. Was the IRA active during this time?
A. Not to the same extent it had been previously. In fact, it was dying a slow death, continually marginalised and losing volunteers.
Q. So how come it is so powerful today?
A. In 1968, a civil rights movement began in Northern Ireland, demanding equal rights for everyone, regardless of religion or ethnic background. But the ruling Protestants did not take kindly to the civil rights movement, and the police forces engaged in brutal attacks on protesters. Perhaps the single most vicious attack on the civil rights movement took place in Derry in 1972 where 13 people were shot dead by British forces. This day became known as Bloody Sunday (and there is currently an investigation going on into the events of this day, nearly 30 years later).
Born of frustration from lack of progress with the civil rights movement, and out of a genuine need to defend the Catholic communities from sectarian attacks (both from the Protestants and the British Army, who had been drafted in to maintain order), the IRA found new strength and hundreds of new volunteers who were willing to use violence to end British rule in Northern Ireland.
Q. So that was the beginning of 'The Troubles'.
A. If that's what you want to call it, yes. For 25 years the IRA fought against the RUC (Ulster Police) and the British Army with guns and bombs in Northern Ireland, but also waged a vicious campaign of bloody terrorism in NI and on the UK mainland, killing many innocent people. Hundreds of people died as a result of the conflict, including many civilians in Britain who had no knowledge, interest, or influence whatsoever in Irish affairs. The IRA's campaign was often driven by naked hatred, and their image of "freedom fighters" in certain parts of the world (notably the USA) is a false one.
Q. So what's happening now?
A. In 1994 the IRA called a ceasefire. That was the beginning of the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Other paramilitary groups in NI consequently called ceasefires, including the 'opposite numbers', the loyalist groups such as the UVF and UDA/UFF (terrorists who want to remain part of the UK).
A power sharing devolved parliament was set up in 1998 which included members of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing. They were allowed into the 'Assembly' once they signed up to certain democratic principles, one being the renouncing of violence, another being the decommissioning of illegal weapons.
But the IRA has not wanted to give up its weapons for quite some time, and without this happening, the power sharing assembly had to be suspended, and any moves towards a peaceful settlement were put on hold.
Q. So this announcement yesterday by the IRA is a historic one?
A. Yes, the IRA has announced, and this has been confirmed by independent observers, that it has begun to 'put beyond use' some of its arsenal of weapons. It is not known whether they have been destroyed or sealed up in bunkers.
So now the power sharing assembly will start up again, and Sinn Fein can participate in the running of Nothern Ireland.
This is the first time they have ever destroyed their own weapons so they can participate in a democratic forum.
Q. Are there any other armed groups in Nothern Ireland? Are they linked to other terrorist organisations around the world?
A. There are a few. They are:
INLA (Irish National Liberation Army, very small, dont know if they are active any more)
CIRA (Continuity IRA, opposed to the IRA ceasefire of 1994)
RIRA (Real IRA, also opposed to ceasefire)
And on the other side of the fence:
UDA (Ulster Defence Association, largest loyalist group)
UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force)
UFF/LVF (Ulster Freedom Fighters, Loyalist Volunteer Force, same as UDA)
Red Hand Commandos, Red Hand Defenders (cover names given by other groups)
The IRA is the largest of the lot and has reported links with ETA in the Basque Region and FARC (Marxist rebels) in Colombia. There were also reports of republicans involved with the Albanian/Kosovar KLA during the Kosovo conflict in 1999 in ex Yugoslavia. A huge amount of its weapons were given by Libya in the 1980's by Colonel Gadaffy (spelling?).
The loyalist terrorists have some tenuous links with far right groups in the UK and also with some Serbian nationalists such as Arkan's Tigers. Not exactly sure where they get their weapons from.
Q. Is there ever going to be peace in Northern Ireland?
A. Lets hope so. Its going to be extremely slow, and there are still hundreds of weapons out there, and people arent going to be willing to let go of them very quickly.
Q. What's going to happen at the end of it all? Is there going to be a united Ireland?
A. The six million dollar question... nobody knows. A lot of people dont want it. It wont happen tomorrow or any time soon, but if it does happen some time in the future, then the civil rights of protestants/loyalists must be protected by law, to ensure that they do not become a discriminated minority in a 32 country Ireland.
Just so you know, I'm non-aligned to either side, and as an anarchist of sorts I think the entire conflict in Northern Ireland is utterly pointless and meaningless, who cares what state you live under, its all the same crap at the end of the day whether you're ruled by the House of Commons or the Dail.
Christ that took all morning. Better than working though!
regards
A. The historic announcement by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) last night means that the huge stumbling block to the peace process in Northern Ireland of the decommissioning of illegal weapons, now appears to be over.
Q. OK, but to be honest I dont really understand whats going on in Northern Ireland. Can you tell me briefly what its all about?
A. Hmm. OK, well the start of the present conflict originates hundreds of years ago. In Oliver Cromwell's time, which was the early 1600's, the ruling British aristocracy was having problems keeping Ireland under its control. So to try and quell rebellion, and to make the country more a part of the UK, a mass movement of British people was encouraged under a scheme called Plantations. British people were offered land in parts of Ireland (taken from the Irish people themselves), if they agreed to settle there.
The Plantations didnt work so well in Munster and other parts of the south. Many of the "planters" returned home after several years, although some stayed (and more land was given to them). In Ulster, the northern province where the land was most fertile, the Plantation worked well, and the English settlers stayed. These planters in Ulster were Protestants.
Q. That's hundreds of years ago, can you bring me more up to date?
A. Well, criminally skipping over events like the failed 1798 rebellion, the Irish famine of 1845-50, and the Land War in the 1880's, a new wave of Irish nationalism began with the "98 clubs" which sprang up in 1898, to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of 1798. These were cultural and political clubs with a decidedly nationalist/republican slant, focusing on the Irish language, dancing, sports (GAA), writing, etc. The birth of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, can be traced to these.
Q. What happened in 1916?
A. Before the 1916 "Easter Rising", there was a moderate, nationalist Irish party operating in the UK House of Commons. But a small group of republicans felt that the moderates were achieveing nothing, so during WWI, they decided to fight an armed uprising in the centre of Dublin. There were several groups involved, including the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood, a forerunner to the IRA) and the ICA (left wing Irish Citizen Army, with trade union links). A new republic was proclaimed from the General Post Office in O'Connell Street, and armed units took over strategic positions. The insurrectionists only numbered approximately a thousand.
Q. Did they get what they were fighting for?
A. No. Their rebellion was crushed by the British authorities. When the rebellion was over, the insurrectionists were shipped off to English prisons, pelted with stones and eggs by Irish people, who were angry with them for their part in destroying the capital. The leaders of the insurrection who had signed their proclamation/manifesto were executed in jail.
After the executions, the tide turned with the insurrectionists. People were angry with the British government with their treatment of the prisoners, and in 1918 after WWI was over, the prisoners were returned home to cheering crowds, welcomed as heroes.
Q. But Ireland was still under British rule.
A. Yes, and after building up armed groups all over the country (the IRA), the Irish War of Independence started in 1919 and lasted until 1921, when a settlement was reached with the British Government, which would be known as the Treaty.
Q. What was the settlement?
A. That the southern part of Ireland, the '26 counties', was to be given full independence, but a new state was to be created in 6 counties of Ulster, called Northern Ireland. This would remain under the rule of Britain.
Q. Why was Ireland split in two this way?
A. Because a large amount of the people in Ulster did not consider themselves Irish. They were British protestants, and their ancestors were the settlers from the Plantation in the mid 1600's. They did not want to be a part of an independent Ireland, they wished to remain under British rule.
Q. Ah I see. So that's when "Northern Ireland" was born. So after the Treaty was signed, what happened?
A. There was a civil war in Ireland between pro and anti Treaty forces which tore the country apart. Nothern Ireland remained as it was under the Treaty, and it became a "Protestant State for a Protestant people". For nearly 50 years, the Irish Catholic population in the 6 counties were discriminated against. There was widespread political corruption ("gerrymandering"), they were given poor housing, health facilities and education, and unemployment was rife.
Q. Was the IRA active during this time?
A. Not to the same extent it had been previously. In fact, it was dying a slow death, continually marginalised and losing volunteers.
Q. So how come it is so powerful today?
A. In 1968, a civil rights movement began in Northern Ireland, demanding equal rights for everyone, regardless of religion or ethnic background. But the ruling Protestants did not take kindly to the civil rights movement, and the police forces engaged in brutal attacks on protesters. Perhaps the single most vicious attack on the civil rights movement took place in Derry in 1972 where 13 people were shot dead by British forces. This day became known as Bloody Sunday (and there is currently an investigation going on into the events of this day, nearly 30 years later).
Born of frustration from lack of progress with the civil rights movement, and out of a genuine need to defend the Catholic communities from sectarian attacks (both from the Protestants and the British Army, who had been drafted in to maintain order), the IRA found new strength and hundreds of new volunteers who were willing to use violence to end British rule in Northern Ireland.
Q. So that was the beginning of 'The Troubles'.
A. If that's what you want to call it, yes. For 25 years the IRA fought against the RUC (Ulster Police) and the British Army with guns and bombs in Northern Ireland, but also waged a vicious campaign of bloody terrorism in NI and on the UK mainland, killing many innocent people. Hundreds of people died as a result of the conflict, including many civilians in Britain who had no knowledge, interest, or influence whatsoever in Irish affairs. The IRA's campaign was often driven by naked hatred, and their image of "freedom fighters" in certain parts of the world (notably the USA) is a false one.
Q. So what's happening now?
A. In 1994 the IRA called a ceasefire. That was the beginning of the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Other paramilitary groups in NI consequently called ceasefires, including the 'opposite numbers', the loyalist groups such as the UVF and UDA/UFF (terrorists who want to remain part of the UK).
A power sharing devolved parliament was set up in 1998 which included members of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing. They were allowed into the 'Assembly' once they signed up to certain democratic principles, one being the renouncing of violence, another being the decommissioning of illegal weapons.
But the IRA has not wanted to give up its weapons for quite some time, and without this happening, the power sharing assembly had to be suspended, and any moves towards a peaceful settlement were put on hold.
Q. So this announcement yesterday by the IRA is a historic one?
A. Yes, the IRA has announced, and this has been confirmed by independent observers, that it has begun to 'put beyond use' some of its arsenal of weapons. It is not known whether they have been destroyed or sealed up in bunkers.
So now the power sharing assembly will start up again, and Sinn Fein can participate in the running of Nothern Ireland.
This is the first time they have ever destroyed their own weapons so they can participate in a democratic forum.
Q. Are there any other armed groups in Nothern Ireland? Are they linked to other terrorist organisations around the world?
A. There are a few. They are:
INLA (Irish National Liberation Army, very small, dont know if they are active any more)
CIRA (Continuity IRA, opposed to the IRA ceasefire of 1994)
RIRA (Real IRA, also opposed to ceasefire)
And on the other side of the fence:
UDA (Ulster Defence Association, largest loyalist group)
UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force)
UFF/LVF (Ulster Freedom Fighters, Loyalist Volunteer Force, same as UDA)
Red Hand Commandos, Red Hand Defenders (cover names given by other groups)
The IRA is the largest of the lot and has reported links with ETA in the Basque Region and FARC (Marxist rebels) in Colombia. There were also reports of republicans involved with the Albanian/Kosovar KLA during the Kosovo conflict in 1999 in ex Yugoslavia. A huge amount of its weapons were given by Libya in the 1980's by Colonel Gadaffy (spelling?).
The loyalist terrorists have some tenuous links with far right groups in the UK and also with some Serbian nationalists such as Arkan's Tigers. Not exactly sure where they get their weapons from.
Q. Is there ever going to be peace in Northern Ireland?
A. Lets hope so. Its going to be extremely slow, and there are still hundreds of weapons out there, and people arent going to be willing to let go of them very quickly.
Q. What's going to happen at the end of it all? Is there going to be a united Ireland?
A. The six million dollar question... nobody knows. A lot of people dont want it. It wont happen tomorrow or any time soon, but if it does happen some time in the future, then the civil rights of protestants/loyalists must be protected by law, to ensure that they do not become a discriminated minority in a 32 country Ireland.
Just so you know, I'm non-aligned to either side, and as an anarchist of sorts I think the entire conflict in Northern Ireland is utterly pointless and meaningless, who cares what state you live under, its all the same crap at the end of the day whether you're ruled by the House of Commons or the Dail.
Christ that took all morning. Better than working though!
regards
the path
e-mail:
path@lab.org
Homepage:
http://thumped.com/thepath
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
Tenuous link?
24.10.2001 11:47
Steffan Freund
That's one view
24.10.2001 14:43
The IRA and the republican movement in Ireland has been fighting a war since 1969 against British rule in Ireland. The support for that resistance to British rule has been solidly based in nationalist working class communities which have not only suffered police and army repression of a type unparalleled in western Europe throughout this period but have suffered severe and continuing discrimination by a Northern Ireland state and society that discrimates against catholics in much the same way as black people are discriminated against in the southern United States.
The British state has used harassment, torture, intimidation, death squads, internment without trial, one judge no jury courts, black propaganda, high levels of surveillance, plastic, rubber and lead bullets and much else in its war against the nationalist community. It is perhaps worth remembering that the British army is an army of occupation in Ireland and an organisation not known for its progressive activities around the world. Most of the counter insurgency techniques now being used against activists in Britain were initially used in the north of Ireland. The struggle of the Irish against British rule, on the streets and in the prisons, is one that has many lessons for anyone interested in how the British state represses dissent.
Now that the guns are silent in Ireland (except, of course, for the loyalist attacks on catholic schoolchildren and the continuing presence of the British army) I would suggest that it would be a bizarre rewriting of history to suggest that there is some sort of moral equivalence between the British state and the struggle to end British rule in Ireland. I don't think you don't need to be a nationalist or support violent forms of struggle to see that.
James Connolly
I agree with you
24.10.2001 15:24
"For nearly 50 years, the Irish Catholic population in the 6 counties were discriminated against. There was widespread political corruption ("gerrymandering"), they were given poor housing, health facilities and education, and unemployment was rife."
"But the ruling Protestants did not take kindly to the civil rights movement, and the police forces engaged in brutal attacks on protesters. Perhaps the single most vicious attack on the civil rights movement took place in Derry in 1972 where 13 people were shot dead by British forces. This day became known as Bloody Sunday (and there is currently an investigation going on into the events of this day, nearly 30 years later)."
"Born of frustration from lack of progress with the civil rights movement, and out of a genuine need to defend the Catholic communities from sectarian attacks (both from the Protestants and the British Army, who had been drafted in to maintain order), the IRA found new strength and hundreds of new volunteers who were willing to use violence to end British rule in Northern Ireland."
I thought that I made the case for the discrimination against Catholics clear.
I understand that the IRA was born out of the oppression of nationalists/Catholics in many parts of Northern Ireland, I dont think anyone disputes that.
I did feel it was necessary to mention the fact that the IRA engaged in many sectarian attacks itself, and its campaign of terrorism did kill innocent people. I dont think you can disagree with that either.
I am not laying the "guilt" solely with them. The British Army, the RUC and the loyalists have also been involved in murder, torture, violence, and terrorism. But the IRA have been guilty of this also.
I hope that you understand my viewpoint. It is very difficult to see any terrorist organisation as "freedom fighters" when they are involved in the killing of innocent people, whether they are blue or green.
Fair?
Also, regarding the September 11th question, I am not sure how much pressure this put on the IRA to decommission. But now the ball is firmly in the British governments and unionist/loyalist court. The IRA have shown (at tremendous risk) that they are willing to get rid of their weapons, so I cant see any grounds now for blue hardliners to cry 'tactical manouever' as they have in the past. This is a serious step for them, quite politically dangerous actually, possibly splintering further republican sentiment, but I hope that SF have a lot of backing from their members and the wider community they represent. It will only take a single incident/accident by the RUC to throw it all back into chaos again.
We'll see what happens. Fingers crossed.
regards
the path
e-mail:
path@lab.org
Oh mo chroi
24.10.2001 18:23
I think the events of this week are a tragedy, pure and simple, I sincerely hope there is undeclared weaponery still there. Why?
firstly I think history will look on this decision badly on two counts. Republicans surrender the armed struggle to britain while Britain bombs the shit out of another (now) defenceless country- how ironic. Secondly it is all too true that the money flow was going to dry up from the states and it is terrible that it proves that our struggle is beholden to that reactionary shower.
Secondly the republican struggle was a broad based struggle and while flawed, showed how community resistance to organised fascism (loyalists) could work. It is no surprise that loyalists were in bed with combat 18. It is no surprise that on the irish nazi site, foreigner nazis advocate the irish to stop killing your own and kill the immigrants www.nsrus.com. Of course they do because republicans displayed for 30 years that fascists would not truimph.
In the struggles that follow, in particular against any southern irish fascist/racist threat, the IRA would have been a great ally. I fear that their might is very much dialluted after the events of this week.
ildathach
good article,fair comment
24.10.2001 20:23
Fair comment from James. But as you say the IRA has it's shadier side. I have always been interested in Ireland and read a lot. The period that I read up on most was that from about 1972 to '85.Featuring Colin wallace and the power struggle between M15 and M16. Which also resulted in Thatcher coming to power.There were a lot of scandals in (northern) Ireland during the 70's and 80's. I never heard of the outcome to the one featuring the Kincora boys home. M15/6 were involved there,but it never really came out.
There was the stalker inquiry into the shoot to kill policy, where the RUC had a tape of the murder of a 16 year old boy,
micheal tighe ?, in a barn by members of the security forces.
Stalker had just got hold of the RUC chief's (Hermon) balls and was just about to put get his mits on the tape, when he was smeared big time. His friend was accused of being a crook, he later got big settlements from various UK newspapers. Stalker, was also stitched up by his boss Lord godmanchester/Anderton. Colin Wallace, he also confirmed he knew about Kincora, had been asked to take part in the long running smear campaign against firstly Wilson and then Heath. With M15's Victor Rothschild (RED SHIELD) being in on the scam, at the time he was working on getting Thatcher into power, as we know he succeeded. Anthony Blunt and his oxford cronies popping over for weekend orgies of child abuse. Blunt at the time had already been exposed as the fourth man,
double agent, or was it the 39th, but it was Hushed up for years. I often wonder if they didn't have something on Wilson which had something to do with Ireland.
Apart from a training ground for subversive activities, police training / riot control tactix, ect it appears to me that Ireland has been used by successive british governments, as an excuse/scapegoat for all sorts of illegal scams and to bring in loads of new laws, which apply in the whole if the UK.
errr just like what Bush and co' are in the process of doing with Bin Laden /international terrorism. It seems that war is part of the main game and if they don't have a suitable enemy, they simply create one. The yanks being the biggest sponsors of the IRA.
LB
Luther Blissett