Irish Republican Army (1922-1969)

:This article deals with the Irish republican organisation opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, styling itself Irish Republican Army, as it existed from the time of the Treaty in 1921 to the split between the Official Irish Republican Army and the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1969. See List of IRAs for a full list of organisations using the name.

The Border Campaign

• Main article: Border Campaign (IRA)

Under the leadership of Tony Magan from 1948 on, the IRA rebuilt its organisation. In the 1950s it started planning for a renewed armed campaign, and in 1956 recent recruit Seán Cronin, who had considerable military experience, drew up a plan codenamed Operation Harvest.

Related Topics:
Tony Magan - Seán Cronin

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The border campaign, as it became known, involved various military columns carrying out a range of military operations from direct attacks on security installations to disruptive actions against infrastructure. Internment without trial, introduced first in Northern Ireland and then in the Republic of Ireland, curtailed IRA operations and ultimately broke morale.

Related Topics:
Border campaign - Republic of Ireland

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Eighteen people in total were killed during the campaign, of whom seven were members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and eight were members of the IRA itself. Despite the boost to republican morale given by the massive turnout for the funeral in Limerick of IRA member Seán South, the campaign was on the whole a failure, and did not receive significant support from the populace on either side of the border. It petered out in the late 1950s, and was officially ended in February 1962.

Related Topics:
Royal Ulster Constabulary - Seán South

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