Dissident Irish Republican campaign
Encyclopedia
Since 1997, when the Provisional Irish Republican Army
called an end to its armed campaign in Northern Ireland
and England, dissident Irish republican paramilitary groups have sought, via a campaign of economic sabotage and physical force
violence against agents of the British
and Irish governments, to force Northern Ireland to secede from the United Kingdom
and join a united Ireland
.
To date, two soldiers
and three policemen (two members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
, and one of its predecessor, the Royal Ulster Constabulary
), have been killed as part of the campaign, while one PSNI officer has been seriously injured by a car bomb.
by Norman knights at the request of ousted King of Leinster Dermot MacMurrough
, Ireland
has, in part or in whole, been under English, and later British, administration. Rebellions against rule from Great Britain
were unsuccessful until 1919–1921's Anglo-Irish War
, when the original Irish Republican Army
(IRA) succeeded in removing 26 of Ireland's 32 traditional counties
from the United Kingdom
as the Irish Free State
. The remaining remaining six counties, located in the province of Ulster
, however, became Northern Ireland and remained a part of the renamed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
.
A civil war
followed in the new southern state, and the IRA split for the first time, into the Irish National Army
—the war's victor, which became the army of the Free State—and the Anti-Treaty IRA
, which was opposed to the treaty
that had partitioned Ireland
into two states.
The IRA ceased to be a significant force following its defeat in the Civil War, and it wasn't until a further split, into the Official IRA
and Provisional IRA (PIRA) following the 1969 Northern Ireland riots
, that a group calling itself the Irish Republican Army—this time the Provisionals—would again come to prove a significant military force. As a belligerent in what would come to be known as The Troubles
, the PIRA waged an armed campaign against the British state that lasted until 1997 and claimed around 1800 lives.
The PIRA called an indefinite ceasefire in 1997 and decommissioned
its arms in 2005, but a number of hardline splinter groups, known as dissident republicans, have vowed to continue using "armed struggle" to achieve the republican aim of a united Ireland.
in 1994, although it had existed since 1986 it did not begin attacks until after the first Provisional IRA ceasefire of 1994. The CIRA carried out a number of attacks over the next 3 years before the Provisionals called their second ceasefire, notably these attacks included a 1,200 lb car bomb outside a hotel in County Fermanagh
and a number of other car bombings. After the Real IRA split from the Provisionals it quickly became active and carried out a number of attacks, the first being an unsuccessful car bombing attempt in January 1998. Both groups carried out a number of attacks throughout 1998 in an attempt to destabilise the Northern Ireland Peace Process
.
inside Northern Ireland.
The bombing caused a major outcry throughout the world, and the Irish and British governments introduced new legislation in an attempt to destroy the organisation. The RIRA also came under pressure from the Provisional IRA, when Provisional IRA members visited the homes of 60 people connected with the RIRA and ordered them to disband and stop interfering with Provisional IRA arms dumps. With the organisation under intense pressure, the RIRA called a ceasefire on 8 September.
The RIRA returned to its campaign in January of the year 2000, declaring in a statement sent to the Irish News, "Once again, Óglaigh na hÉireann declares the right of the Irish people to the ownership of Ireland. We call on all volunteers loyal to the Irish Republic to unite to uphold the Republic and establish a permanent national parliament representative of all the people." The next month it attempted to bomb an army barracks, however the bombers were disturbed before the device was assembled. As well as attacking the security forces the dissidents have taken over the traditional republican responsibility of punishing criminals on their 'territory' through punishment attacks, these can range from a warning, to a punishment beating, to shooting the victim (kneecapping), and in some cases, killing them, or forcing them to leave the country.
The RIRA have also been responsible for a number of bomb attacks in England, most notably the 4 March 2001 BBC bombing
and the 3 August 2001 Ealing bombing
, as well as launching an RPG-22
rocket at MI6 headquarters in London in 2000.
Since that time, tensions have resulted in a number of splinter groups from both organisations. These have included two CIRA splinter groups, Óglaigh na hÉireann, which is now inactive and ceased all activity in 2009, and Saoirse na hÉireann
. A Real IRA splinter group, also calling itself Óglaigh na hÉireann
, has grown to become the most active and dangerous group in Northern Ireland.
The first fatalities suffered by the security forces since the end of the Troubles
occurred in the 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting
, when the Real IRA shot dead two British soldiers, and injured four others, including two soldiers and two civilians. Within a week a Continuity IRA sniper shot dead a PSNI officer responding to a distress call. In January 2010, the Real IRA killed convicted Drug Dealer Gerard Staunton in Cork City, and warned that it would kill others involved in the drugs trade. Earlier in January 2010, Óglaigh na hÉireann carried out a booby trap bomb attack on a PSNI officer, leaving him seriously injured and his leg having to be amputated. In April, 2011, another PSNI officer was killed
, this time by a booby trap bomb that was attached to his car.
On 20 June 2011, the UVF invaded the nationalist area of the Short Strand
and began attacking nationalist homes, the men were dressed in balaclavas and full camouflage gear. Republicans opened fire, shooting two loyalists in the legs. Riots continued for hours, and a nationalist resident of the short strand was seriously injured when a breezeblock was dropped on his head by loyalists. A second night of rioting followed, with a press photographer being shot in the leg by republicans. See 2011 Belfast riots.
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
called an end to its armed campaign in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and England, dissident Irish republican paramilitary groups have sought, via a campaign of economic sabotage and physical force
Physical force Irish republicanism
Physical force Irish republicanism, is a term used to describe the recurring appearance of non-parliamentary violent insurrection in Ireland between 1798 and the present...
violence against agents of the British
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
and Irish governments, to force Northern Ireland to secede from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and join a united Ireland
United Ireland
A united Ireland is the term used to refer to the idea of a sovereign state which covers all of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. The island of Ireland includes the territory of two independent sovereign states: the Republic of Ireland, which covers 26 counties of the island, and the...
.
To date, two soldiers
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and three policemen (two members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
, and one of its predecessor, the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
), have been killed as part of the campaign, while one PSNI officer has been seriously injured by a car bomb.
Background
Since the 1169 invasion of IrelandNorman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
by Norman knights at the request of ousted King of Leinster Dermot MacMurrough
Dermot MacMurrough
Diarmait Mac Murchada , anglicized as Dermot MacMurrough or Dermod MacMurrough , was a King of Leinster in Ireland. In 1167, he was deprived of his kingdom by the High King of Ireland - Turlough Mór O'Connor...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
has, in part or in whole, been under English, and later British, administration. Rebellions against rule from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
were unsuccessful until 1919–1921's Anglo-Irish War
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
, when the original Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA) succeeded in removing 26 of Ireland's 32 traditional counties
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...
from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
as the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. The remaining remaining six counties, located in the province of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, however, became Northern Ireland and remained a part of the renamed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
A civil war
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
followed in the new southern state, and the IRA split for the first time, into the Irish National Army
Irish National Army
The Irish National Army or National Army was the army of the Irish Free State from January 1922-1 October 1924. Michael Collins, its Chief of Staff from June 1921 until his death in August 1922, was the last Chief of Staff of the IRA that had fought the Irish War of Independence...
—the war's victor, which became the army of the Free State—and the Anti-Treaty IRA
Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
The original Irish Republican Army fought a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland in the Irish War of Independence 1919–1921. Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the IRA in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and...
, which was opposed to the treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
that had partitioned Ireland
Partition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
into two states.
The IRA ceased to be a significant force following its defeat in the Civil War, and it wasn't until a further split, into the Official IRA
Official IRA
The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to create a "32-county workers' republic" in Ireland. It emerged from a split in the Irish Republican Army in December 1969, shortly after the beginning of "The Troubles"...
and Provisional IRA (PIRA) following the 1969 Northern Ireland riots
1969 Northern Ireland Riots
During 12–17 August 1969, Northern Ireland was rocked by intense political and sectarian rioting. There had been sporadic violence throughout the year arising from the civil rights campaign, which was demanding an end to government discrimination against Irish Catholics and nationalists...
, that a group calling itself the Irish Republican Army—this time the Provisionals—would again come to prove a significant military force. As a belligerent in what would come to be known as The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, the PIRA waged an armed campaign against the British state that lasted until 1997 and claimed around 1800 lives.
The PIRA called an indefinite ceasefire in 1997 and decommissioned
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
its arms in 2005, but a number of hardline splinter groups, known as dissident republicans, have vowed to continue using "armed struggle" to achieve the republican aim of a united Ireland.
Beginnings of the campaign
The first dissident grouping to carry out attacks in Northern Ireland were the Continuity IRA, when they carried out a bomb attack in EnniskillenEnniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
in 1994, although it had existed since 1986 it did not begin attacks until after the first Provisional IRA ceasefire of 1994. The CIRA carried out a number of attacks over the next 3 years before the Provisionals called their second ceasefire, notably these attacks included a 1,200 lb car bomb outside a hotel in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
and a number of other car bombings. After the Real IRA split from the Provisionals it quickly became active and carried out a number of attacks, the first being an unsuccessful car bombing attempt in January 1998. Both groups carried out a number of attacks throughout 1998 in an attempt to destabilise the Northern Ireland Peace Process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
.
The Omagh bombing
On 15 August 1998 the RIRA left a car containing 500 lb of home-made explosives in the centre of Omagh, County Tyrone. The bombers could not find a parking space near the intended target of the courthouse, and the car was left 400 metres away. As a result three inaccurate telephone warnings were issued, and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) believed the bomb was actually located outside the courthouse. They attempted to establish a security cordon to keep civilians clear of the area, which inadvertently pushed people closer to the actual location of the bomb. Shortly after, the bomb exploded killing 29 people and injuring 220 others, in what became the deadliest attack in The TroublesThe Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
inside Northern Ireland.
The bombing caused a major outcry throughout the world, and the Irish and British governments introduced new legislation in an attempt to destroy the organisation. The RIRA also came under pressure from the Provisional IRA, when Provisional IRA members visited the homes of 60 people connected with the RIRA and ordered them to disband and stop interfering with Provisional IRA arms dumps. With the organisation under intense pressure, the RIRA called a ceasefire on 8 September.
Return to activity
The RIRA used the ceasefire to regroup and procure more arms for their campaign. Meanwhile the CIRA continued its attacks and carried out a number of attacks. However there was a lull in dissident activity after the outcry from the Omagh bombing.The RIRA returned to its campaign in January of the year 2000, declaring in a statement sent to the Irish News, "Once again, Óglaigh na hÉireann declares the right of the Irish people to the ownership of Ireland. We call on all volunteers loyal to the Irish Republic to unite to uphold the Republic and establish a permanent national parliament representative of all the people." The next month it attempted to bomb an army barracks, however the bombers were disturbed before the device was assembled. As well as attacking the security forces the dissidents have taken over the traditional republican responsibility of punishing criminals on their 'territory' through punishment attacks, these can range from a warning, to a punishment beating, to shooting the victim (kneecapping), and in some cases, killing them, or forcing them to leave the country.
The RIRA have also been responsible for a number of bomb attacks in England, most notably the 4 March 2001 BBC bombing
4 March 2001 BBC bombing
At 12:30 AM on Sunday 4 March 2001, the Real IRA detonated a car bomb outside the BBC's main news centre within BBC Television Centre, on Wood Lane in the White City area of West London....
and the 3 August 2001 Ealing bombing
3 August 2001 Ealing bombing
On 3 August 2001 the Real IRA detonated a car bomb containing 45kg of explosives in Ealing Broadway, West London, England, injuring seven people. Debris caused by the bomb spread more than 200m...
, as well as launching an RPG-22
RPG-22
The Soviet RPG-22 Netto is a one-shot disposable anti-tank rocket launcher first deployed in 1985, based on the RPG-18 rocket launcher, but firing a larger 72.5 mm fin stabilised projectile. The weapon can be prepared to fire in around 10 seconds, and can penetrate 400 mm of armour, 1.2 meters of...
rocket at MI6 headquarters in London in 2000.
Since that time, tensions have resulted in a number of splinter groups from both organisations. These have included two CIRA splinter groups, Óglaigh na hÉireann, which is now inactive and ceased all activity in 2009, and Saoirse na hÉireann
Saoirse na hÉireann
Saoirse na hÉireann , abbreviated SnaÉ, is a small Irish republican paramilitary group that formed in 2005 and mainly contains young republicans from the Belfast area....
. A Real IRA splinter group, also calling itself Óglaigh na hÉireann
Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group)
Óglaigh na hÉireann is the title taken by a small dissident Irish republican paramilitary that formed in 2009 as a faction within the Real Irish Republican Army, although it claims to be independent of the Real IRA...
, has grown to become the most active and dangerous group in Northern Ireland.
The first fatalities suffered by the security forces since the end of the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
occurred in the 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting
2009 Massereene Barracks shooting
The 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting occurred on 7 March 2009, when two off-duty soldiers of the 38 Engineer Regiment were shot dead outside Massereene Barracks in Antrim town, Northern Ireland. Two other soldiers and two civilian delivery men, one Polish and one Northern Irish, were also shot and...
, when the Real IRA shot dead two British soldiers, and injured four others, including two soldiers and two civilians. Within a week a Continuity IRA sniper shot dead a PSNI officer responding to a distress call. In January 2010, the Real IRA killed convicted Drug Dealer Gerard Staunton in Cork City, and warned that it would kill others involved in the drugs trade. Earlier in January 2010, Óglaigh na hÉireann carried out a booby trap bomb attack on a PSNI officer, leaving him seriously injured and his leg having to be amputated. In April, 2011, another PSNI officer was killed
Murder of Ronan Kerr
Police Constable Ronan Kerr was a Police Service of Northern Ireland officer killed by a booby-trap car bomb planted outside his home on the 2 April 2011 in Killyclogher near Omagh...
, this time by a booby trap bomb that was attached to his car.
On 20 June 2011, the UVF invaded the nationalist area of the Short Strand
Short Strand
The Short Strand is a mainly-nationalist area in east Belfast, surrounded by a mainly-unionist area. It is within the townland of Ballymacarret and sits on the east bank of the River Lagan in County Down.-Security issues:...
and began attacking nationalist homes, the men were dressed in balaclavas and full camouflage gear. Republicans opened fire, shooting two loyalists in the legs. Riots continued for hours, and a nationalist resident of the short strand was seriously injured when a breezeblock was dropped on his head by loyalists. A second night of rioting followed, with a press photographer being shot in the leg by republicans. See 2011 Belfast riots.