Irish National Liberation Army

The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) is an Irish republican paramilitary organization which was formed on December 8, 1974. It is the military wing of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement (a political wing, the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), was formed the same day). The founders were Seamus Costello and other activists who had left or been forced out of the Official IRA in the wake of the OIRA's 1972 ceasefire and the increasingly reformist approach of Official Sinn Fein. Costello espoused a mixture of traditional republican militarism and Marxist-oriented politics.

Related Topics:
Irish republican - December 8 - 1974 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement - Irish Republican Socialist Party - Seamus Costello - Official IRA - 1972 - Official Sinn Fein - Marxist

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Shortly after it was founded, the INLA came under attack from their former comrades in the OIRA, who wanted to destroy the new grouping before it could get off the ground. On 20 February 1975, Hugh Ferguson, an INLA member and an IRSP branch chairperson, was the first person to be killed. There were several more assassinations on both sides, the most prominent victim being Seamus Costello, who was shot dead on Gardiner Street in Dublin on 6 October 1977.

Related Topics:
Hugh Ferguson - Seamus Costello - Dublin

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In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the INLA developed a modest organisation in the north of Ireland, particularly based around Divis Flats in West Belfast, which as a result became colloquially known as, "the planet of the Irps" (a reference to the IRSP and the film The Planet of the Apes). During this period, the INLA competed with the Provisional IRA for members, both groups attacking the British army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Related Topics:
Ireland - Belfast - IRSP - The Planet of the Apes - Provisional IRA - British army - Royal Ulster Constabulary

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The first action to bring the INLA to international notice was its assassination on 30 May 1979 of Airey Neave, one of Margaret Thatcher?s closest political supporters. Other actions included the 1982 bombing of the Mount Gabriel radar station in County Cork, which was providing assistance to NATO, allegedly in violation of Irish neutrality; and the 6 December 1982 bombing of the Droppin' Well Bar in Ballykelly, County Derry, which catered to British military personnel, in which 11 soldiers and 6 civilians were killed.

Related Topics:
1979 - Airey Neave - Margaret Thatcher - 1982 - County Cork - NATO - Irish neutrality - Ballykelly - County Derry

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Members of the INLA participated in the 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes for the recognition of the political status of prisoners. Three INLA members died during the latter hunger strike - Patsy O'Hara, Kevin Lynch, and Michael Devine. In terms of prestige in Irish republicanism, this turned out to be the high water mark for the INLA.

Related Topics:
1980 and 1981 hunger strikes - Patsy O'Hara - Kevin Lynch - Michael Devine

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On 20 November 1983, three members of the congregation in the Mountain Lodge Pentecostal Church, Darkley near Keady, County Armagh were shot dead during a Sunday service. The attack was claimed by the Catholic Reaction Force, a cover name for a small group of people, including one member of the INLA. The weapon used came from an INLA arms dump, but Tim Pat Coogan claims in his book The IRA that the weapon had been given to the INLA member to assassinate a known loyalist and the attack on the church was not sanctioned. The INLA's then chief of staff, Dominic McGlinchey, came out of hiding to condemn the attack.

Related Topics:
20 November - 1983 - Pentecostal - Keady - County Armagh - Catholic Reaction Force - Tim Pat Coogan - Dominic McGlinchey

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In the 1980s the INLA all but collapsed due to splits and criminality within its own ranks, as well as the conviction of many of its members under the British supergrass scheme. In 1987, the INLA and its political wing, the IRSP came under attack from the Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO), an organisation founded by people who had resigned or been expelled from the INLA. The IPLO's sole purpose was to destroy the INLA. Five members of the INLA were killed by the IPLO. After the INLA killed the IPLO's leader, Gerard Steenson, a truce was reached. Although severely damaged by the IPLO's attacks, the INLA continued to exist. The IPLO, which was heavily involved in drug dealing, was put out of existence by the Provisional IRA in the early 1990s.

Related Topics:
Supergrass scheme - Irish People's Liberation Organisation - Gerard Steenson

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Although there have been allegations that the INLA deals drugs, no one has been simultaneously convicted of membership in the INLA and of drug offences. The IRSP and the INLA have both strongly denied any involvement with drug dealing, and the INLA has threatened criminals which it claims have falsely used its name.

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In 1995, four members of the INLA were arrested in Balbriggan while trying to smuggle weapons from Dublin to Belfast, including chief of staff Hugh Torney. Torney, with the support of two of his co-accused, called a ceasefire in exchange for favorable treatment by the Irish authorities. Since Torney lacked the authority to call a ceasefire, he and the two men who supported him were expelled from the INLA.

Related Topics:
1995 - Balbriggan - Dublin - Belfast - Hugh Torney - Irish authorities

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Torney and one of those men, Dessie McCleery, surrounded themselves with a gang of mercenaries and paid a North Belfast drug dealer to assassinate the new INLA chief of staff, Gino Gallagher. After the INLA executed both McCleery and Torney, the rest of Torney's gang quietly disbanded.

Related Topics:
Dessie McCleery - Belfast - Gino Gallagher

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In December 1997, three members of the INLA imprisoned in Long Kesh assassinated LVF leader Billy Wright, also known as "King Rat."

Related Topics:
1997 - Long Kesh - LVF - Billy Wright

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The INLA declared a ceasefire on August 22, 1998.

Related Topics:
August 22 - 1998

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According to the Sutton database of deaths at the University of Ulster's CAIN project http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/crosstabs.html, the INLA was responsible for 113 deaths during the Troubles. Among its victims were 46 members of the British security forces, 42 civilians, 2 members of the Garda Síochána, 7 loyalist paramilitaries and 16 republican paramilitaries (including 10 of its own members).

Related Topics:
University of Ulster - Garda Síochána

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