IRA

IRA: Irish Republican Army A guerrila army situated in ireland, whose operations have been concentrated in the occupied north of ireland and on the foreign British mainland.Their main aim is to secure a united ireland which would involve driving out the british forces from the island of ireland. they had the support of many citizens of ireland mostly from the catholic nationalst community. The organisation follows in the footsteps of a long line of armed revolution in Ireland, including a revolution mounted by Theobald Wolfe Tone, the father of republicanism, who himself was a protestant. During an expansive campaign in the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's the IRA was able to secure large quantities of weapons from the US, the Balkans and Libya. they used these weapons to mount the largest bombing campaign ever seen on the british mainland and gain many concessions and drive the british establishment to the bargaining table. During this time the organisation was able to become the most powerful organisation in Ireland, basically destroying all loyalist organisations in the North and killing hundreds of british soldiers. They also managed to kill two intensively trained SAS soldiers, a major achievement for a volunteer force. The IRA always has taken a hard line against drugs and has been known to kill dealers and importers. they have never used drugs to increase power or funds, unlike all loyalist groups. Recently, after achieving their utmost with violence, the organisation have decided to follow a strictly political path. Support has grown through this initiative and they will achieve a united ireland through this method. weapons have been decommisioned to secure representation of republicans in the government. Despite this, the IRA has the support, if ever there was the need for another armed campaign in Ireland and could wage war indefinitely.