Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA; more commonly referred to as the IRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the army or the Ra) is an Irish Republican paramilitary organisation. Since its emergence in 1969, its stated aim has been the reunification of Ireland which it believed could not be achieved without an armed campaign directed against British rule in Northern Ireland. On July 28, 2005, the Provisional IRA Army Council announced an end to its armed campaign, stating that it would work to achieve its aims using "purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means" and that " Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever".

Activities

According to the CAIN research project at the University of Ulster, the Provisional IRA was responsible for the deaths of 1,706 people during the Troubles up to 2001. This figure represents 48.4 percent of the total fatalities in the conflict. 497 of these casualties were civilians, 638 of the casualties were from the British Army (183 from the Ulster Defence Regiment and 455 from other regiments). Another 271 of the casualties were members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Of its victims, 340 were Northern Irish Catholics, 794 were Northern Irish Protestants and 572 were not from Northern Ireland. The IRA was chiefly active in Northern Ireland, although it took its campaign to the Republic of Ireland, Britain, and also carried out several attacks in the Netherlands and Germany.

Related Topics:
University of Ulster - The Troubles - British Army - Ulster Defence Regiment - Royal Ulster Constabulary - Catholics - Protestants - Northern Ireland - Republic of Ireland - Britain - Netherlands - Germany

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The IRA lost 276 members during the Troubles. In 132 of these cases, IRA members either caused their own deaths (as a result of hunger strikes, premature bombing accidents etc.), or were murdered on allegations of having worked for the security forces. These executions killed more IRA members than any other organisation did during the course of the Troubles.

Related Topics:
The Troubles - Hunger strike

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The Provisional IRA's activities included bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, punishment beatings of civilians accused of criminal or "antisocial" behaviour, extortion and robberies (most notably being widely blamed for the £26 million Northern Bank robbery in 2004). Previous targets have included the British military, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and loyalist militants ? against all of whom IRA gunmen and bombers fought a guerrilla war.

Related Topics:
Northern Bank robbery - British military - Royal Ulster Constabulary - Loyalist - Guerrilla war

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The IRA also targeted certain British government officials, politicians and civilians in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Many civilians assisting or perceived to have been assisting the security forces were killed in Northern Ireland, whilst many British civilians were killed during the IRA bombing campaign in England, which was often directed against civilian targets such as pubs and public transport, and targets of an economic significance such as shops and Canary Wharf.

Related Topics:
Pub - Public transport - Canary Wharf

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One of their most famous victims was the uncle of Prince Philip, Lord Louis Mountbatten, killed along with two children and his cousin on 27 August 1979 in County Sligo, by an IRA bomb placed in his boat.

Related Topics:
Prince Philip - Lord Louis Mountbatten - 27 August - 1979 - County Sligo

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Many Catholic civilians have been killed by the IRA for collaboration with the British security forces (i.e. the British Army or the RUC). The IRA also summarily executed or otherwise punished suspected drug dealers and other suspected criminals in the past, sometimes after kangaroo trials. IRA members suspected of being British or Irish government informers were also executed, often after interrogation and torture and a kangaroo trial.

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Members of the Garda Síochána (the Republic of Ireland's police force) have also been killed; most notorious was the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, who was killed by sustained machine-gun fire while sitting in his car while escorting a post office delivery. IRA bombing campaigns have been conducted against rail and London Underground (subway) stations, pubs and shopping areas on the island of Great Britain, and a British military facility in Germany.

Related Topics:
Garda Síochána - Jerry McCabe - London Underground - Subway - Great Britain - Military - Germany

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In the 1980s, IRA members kidnapped the racehorse Shergar and attempted to ransom it. Activities such as these were linked to the IRA's fundraising.

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Although the PIRA only formally announced an end to its armed campaign in 2005, it had been on ceasefire since 1997 (although hardline splinter groups such as the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA continue their campaigns). It previously observed a cease-fire from 1 September 1994 to February 1996, after the Downing Street Declaration, although this was ended when the British government refused to talk to Sinn Féin.

Related Topics:
Continuity IRA - Real IRA - 1 September - 1994 - Downing Street Declaration

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