Terrorism: The Irish Republican Army (IRA)

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) has sought for a unified Ireland for decades through the use of violence and intimidation in the form of terrorism. Britain’s occupation of Ulster (Northern Ireland), has been a controversial reign with a primarily Protestant influence on a previously Catholic area. This has led to various civil right issues and activism in the most affected parts. Politically, the feud is primarily about land and the unification of Ireland, thus the disputes over who Northern Ireland belongs to. In the case of the IRA, it is believed that Ulster should be the Republic of Ireland’s land, especially considering the fact that it was taken from them in a series of struggles, and not controlled by Britain. Therefore, the IRA aims
Ireland is a Catholic nation, meaning it did not take part in the Reformation and is somewhat opposed to that of the Protestant denominations of Christianity. England is a Protestant nation and has forced Protestantism on the government and people of Northern Ireland. This consequently made Catholics in Northern Ireland unofficial second class citizens. Thus, making a significant impact on the lives of Catholics living in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Riots were a series of political campaigns with the intention of bringing an end to discrimination against Irish Catholics. The Battle of the Bogside is one of many of these riots. This particular event was a large communal riot in Derry, 1969, fought between Bogside residents and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) with the help of Ulster Unionists (ideologists that believe Ireland should be tied to Great Britain). Intimidation from an Apprentice Boys Parade (opposition from Irish Nationalists; commemorating the Siege of Derry, 1689) caused Catholic residents of the Bogside to riot. RUC intervention was unsuccessful and the British army soon became involved. The Battle of the Bogside started support in Ulster for the unification of Ireland, leading to the support of IRA Nationalists. This support included the recruitment of Northern Ireland volunteers, establishment of Ulster Brigades of IRA
This period of time is known as the Long War, a campaign of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) or “Provos”. The PIRA is the result of a split in the IRA in 1969, creating the Official Irish Republican Army (seeked a unified Ireland by political means) and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (used violence and intimidation to reach their goals). The strategies of the Long War are clearly outlined in the 1977 edition of the Green Book, these include; “A war of attrition”, “Bombing campaigns to make enemy’s financial interests in Ulster unprofitable”, “Use of propaganda” and “To make Northern Ireland ungovernable”. The Long War was a war with the intent of leaving the British government scared and uneasy with the threat of an attack always present. In 1977, the IRA reorganised its structure into smaller cells to protect from infiltration. These cells operated throughout Ireland and in part of the mainland of England. Their primary focus was to make life difficult for the English and force them out through attrition. The political aspect of the terrorist acts was also growing rapidly with the deaths of 10 IRA members on hunger strike in 1981, causing uproar. Sinn Fein (Irish Nationalist Party) started to earn a more prominent role in politics, encouraging republicans to end the armed struggle and pursue their goals from a political level. However, the IRA continued to operate and