Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)

Quick Facts: Who was Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)?

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Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)

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Paramilitary group fighting for a 32-county Irish republic from 1922 to 1969.

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Origins & Early Life

The Irish Republican Army (IRA; Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann, lit. 'warriors of Ireland') was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that carried on a number of violent campaigns between 1922 and 1969, in pursuit of a 32-county Irish republic. It arose from a split in the original IRA over the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, and was known during the ensuing Civil War as the Anti-Treaty IRA or the "Irregulars". It split in 1969 into the Provisional IRA and Official IRA. The Civil War ended with anti-Treaty forces dumping arms, and over the following years, membership fell to fewer than 2,000.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The IRA moved to the left in the early 1930s, under the leadership of Moss Twomey and later Seán MacBride. It swung to the right from 1938 under the leadership of Seán Russell; it had contact with the Abwehr, and Russell travelled to Nazi Germany, dying suddenly on the journey back to Ireland. From 1939 the IRA carried on the S-Plan, a bombing campaign in Britain which included the 1939 Coventry bombing, for which Peter Barnes and James McCormick were hanged. It also carried on the Northern campaign, a series of attacks on security forces in Northern Ireland. Internment without trial was introduced both in Northern Ireland and in the south, and IRA numbers were greatly reduced by the end of World War II.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

From 1958 to 1962 another series of attacks, called the Border campaign, were carried out, and again internment was introduced north and south. The IRA moved to the left again in the 1960s, under the leadership of Cathal Goulding. It adopted a Marxist philosophy and advocated class-based, rather than sectarian, action. In 1969 it proposed to end abstentionism, allowing elected Sinn Féin members to take their seats in Dáil Éireann and the Northern Ireland Parliament. This, and the perceived failure of the IRA to protect Catholics during the 1969 Northern Ireland riots, led to the split at the 1969 IRA convention that resulted in the Official and Provisional IRA.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1921: 1921 Milestone — It arose from a split in the original IRA over the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, and was known during the ensuing Civil War as the Anti-Treaty IRA or the "Irregulars".
2. 1922: 1922 Milestone — 'warriors of Ireland') was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that carried on a number of violent campaigns between 1922 and 1969, in pursuit of a 32-county Irish republic.
3. 1938: 1938 Milestone — It swung to the right from 1938 under the leadership of Seán Russell; it had contact with the Abwehr, and Russell travelled to Nazi Germany, dying suddenly on the journey back to Ireland.
4. 1939: 1939 Milestone — From 1939 the IRA carried on the S-Plan, a bombing campaign in Britain which included the 1939 Coventry bombing, for which Peter Barnes and James McCormick were hanged.
5. 1958: 1958 Milestone — From 1958 to 1962 another series of attacks, called the Border campaign, were carried out, and again internment was introduced north and south.
6. 1969: 1969 Milestone — It split in 1969 into the Provisional IRA and Official IRA.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)

True or False: “The IRA remained ideologically consistent throughout its entire history, never shifting from republican goals.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The organization underwent significant ideological shifts, moving from anti-Treaty opposition to adopting Marxist philosophies in the 1960s.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aage Bohr — Historical peer (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Agnes Nixon — Historical peer (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering soap opera writer and producer, creator of 'One Life to Live' and 'All My Children'.
• Adam Gilchrist — Historical peer (Born in 1969) (1969): Legendary Australian cricketer, redefining the wicket-keeper-batsman role with aggressive flair.
• Adam Riess — Historical peer (Born in 1969) (1969): Astrophysicist known for evidence of accelerating universe expansion via supernovae.
• Aaron Beck — Historical peer (Born in 1921) (1921): Father of Cognitive Therapy and CBT, revolutionizing psychiatric treatment.
• ʻAbdu'l-Bahá — Historical peer (Died in 1921) (1921): Successor to Baháʼu'lláh and guiding light of the Baháʼí Faith.
• Abu Taher — Historical peer (Born in 1938) (1938): Bangladeshi military officer, insurgent, and political activist known for his role in the 1975 coups.
• Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud — Historical peer (Born in 1938) (1938): Somaliland politician, served as President from 2010 to 2017.
• Ada Yonath — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Pioneering crystallographer known for elucidating the structure and function of the ribosome.
• Alan Ayckbourn — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Prolific British playwright and director known for domestic farce and ensemble pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions about Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)