the ira and the troubles in northern ireland
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Sinn Fein and the IRA
• Leaving Cert History
• Northern Ireland 1949-1973
Origins of Sinn Fein• Established in
1905 by Arthur Griffith
• By 1921 was the dominant party of Irish Nationalism
Origins of IRA• Emerged from the Irish Volunteers
and Irish Republican Brotherhood• Split during Civil War 1922-1923
Origins of IRA• IRA went through a series of splits up
to 1969• 1969 – IRA (and Sinn Fein) split into
– Provisional IRA and Provisional Sinn Fein– Official IRA and Official Sinn Fein
British Withdrawal in 5 years
• IRA leadership wanted to inflict as many casualties on British that public opinion would force withdrawal
• Commence bombing campaign of ‘soft targets’ – strategy to disrupt the economy.
• NI Govt. introduce interments - more IRA recruits
• Events like Bloody Sunday led to more volunteers joining
• Strategy proved a failure• 1975 IRA call a ceasefire – lasts nearly a year
The Long War• New strategy• A 20 year war of attrition• Attacks on military and economy
targets – including in the UK• Led to consistent security repression
in Catholic areas
IRA prisoners• Initially granted special category status• British government withdraw special
category status in 1976• IRA prisoners go ‘on the blanket’• 1978 – protest escalated to the ‘dirty
protest’• 1980 7 IRA prisoners go on hunger
strike• Ends after 53 days following promises
from British Government
1981 Hunger Strike• Bobby Sands elected to Parliament
while on hunger strike• 10 prisoners die before hunger strike
called off• Election of Sands leads Sinn Fein and
IRA to look at more political activity as well as the military campaign
The Armalite and the Ballot Box
• “Who here really believes we can win the war through the ballot box? But will anyone here object if, with a ballot paper in this hand and an Armalite in the other, we take power in Ireland”– Danny Morisson Sinn Fein Ard Fheis
1981
• Sinn Fein won around 11% of the vote in elections
Decommissioning• Sinn Fein won around 11% of the vote in
elections• After ceasefire Sinn Fein vote increased• IRA decommissioned weapons• Sinn Fein now the largest Nationalist party
in Northern Ireland• 28 July 2005, the 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"
IRA deaths• About 1800 died as a result of IRA
actions• 1100 members of the security forces• 640 civilians• 275-300 IRA volunteers killed• Over 10,000 people imprisoned over
the Troubles for IRA involvement or support
• Presentation prepared by:
• Dominic Haugh• St. Particks Comprehensive School• Shannon• Co. Clare
• Presentation can be used for educational purposes only – all rights remain with author