NORAID
Encyclopedia
Noraid or the Irish Northern Aid Committee is an Irish American
fund raising organization founded after the start of the Troubles
in Northern Ireland
in 1969. The organisation's mission statement declares that:
Unionist
politicians and the British, Irish and United States governments have accused Noraid of being a front
for the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA), and that it was involved in fund raising for IRA arms importation
from North America since the early 1970s. This accusation has always been denied by Noraid. Noraid's former leader, Martin Galvin
, was banned from the United Kingdom
in the 1980s. The charge was also disputed by historian Ed Moloney
who stated that the funds raised by NORAID went to the families of IRA volunteers
, while Clan na Gael
was the principal financial backer of the Provisional IRA.
In May 1981, the U.S. Department of Justice won a court case forcing Noraid to register the Provisional Irish Republican Army as its "foreign principal", under the Foreign Agents Registration Act 1938
. A compromise was reached which allowed Noraid to include a written disclaimer against the court ruling stating the document had been signed under force and that Noraid maintained that the IRA was not its "foreign principal". Federal attorneys agreed to this, and Noraid resumed filing its financial returns in July 1984.
The group was supportive of the peace process and the subsequent Good Friday Agreement. It is nowadays highly supportive of Sinn Féin
.
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
fund raising organization founded after the start 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...
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...
in 1969. The organisation's mission statement declares that:
Irish Northern Aid is an American based membership organization that supports through peaceful means, the establishment of a democratic 32-county Ireland.
Our Strategy: To develop a broad coalition of supporters for Irish Unity through organizing and educating the public, our members, political leaders, and the media.
To support the current Peace Process, including the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement which was endorsed by the vast majority of the Irish people.
To support a process of National reconciliation and equality for all the citizens of Ireland.
Membership: In keeping with the principles of the 1916 Proclamation, Irish Northern Aid is open to anyone who shares these values.
Unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
politicians and the British, Irish and United States governments have accused Noraid of being a front
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
for the Provisional Irish Republican Army
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...
(IRA), and that it was involved in fund raising for IRA arms importation
Provisional IRA arms importation
The Provisional Irish Republican Army began importing large quantities of weapons and ammunition into the Republic of Ireland for use in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s...
from North America since the early 1970s. This accusation has always been denied by Noraid. Noraid's former leader, Martin Galvin
Martin Galvin
Martin Galvin is an Irish American lawyer and Irish republican political activist.-Background:Galvin was born on January 8, 1950, and was raised in New York City, although he may have been born in the Republic of Ireland as he once, during an interview with 60 Minutes, referred to the "partition...
, was banned 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...
in the 1980s. The charge was also disputed by historian Ed Moloney
Ed Moloney
Ed Moloney is an Irish journalist and author best known for his coverage of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and particularly the activities of the Provisional IRA. Ed worked for the Hibernia magazine and Magill before going on to serve as Northern Ireland editor for The Irish Times and...
who stated that the funds raised by NORAID went to the families of IRA volunteers
Volunteer (Irish republican)
Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
, while Clan na Gael
Clan na Gael
The Clan na Gael was an Irish republican organization in the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries, successor to the Fenian Brotherhood and a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood...
was the principal financial backer of the Provisional IRA.
In May 1981, the U.S. Department of Justice won a court case forcing Noraid to register the Provisional Irish Republican Army as its "foreign principal", under the Foreign Agents Registration Act 1938
Foreign Agents Registration Act
The Foreign Agents Registration Act is a United States law passed in 1938 requiring that agents representing the interests of foreign powers be properly identified to the American public. The act was passed in response to German propaganda in the lead-up to World War II...
. A compromise was reached which allowed Noraid to include a written disclaimer against the court ruling stating the document had been signed under force and that Noraid maintained that the IRA was not its "foreign principal". Federal attorneys agreed to this, and Noraid resumed filing its financial returns in July 1984.
The group was supportive of the peace process and the subsequent Good Friday Agreement. It is nowadays highly supportive of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
.
External links
- Irish Northern Aid — the organization's website
- Irish Northern Aid Committee (NORAID) — the University of UlsterUniversity of UlsterThe University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
's CAIN project entry on NORAID