The Irish Republican Army (IRA) refers to a paramilitary organization comprised of various republican groups seeking the establishment of a united, independent Ireland. Originating in the early 20th century, the IRA has undergone numerous iterations and splits, associating with different political ideologies and employing diverse strategies within its campaign for Irish nationalism.
The IRA emerged in 1919 as a response to British rule and became the military wing of Sinn Féin, a political party aspiring for Irish independence. During the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), the IRA conducted guerrilla warfare against British forces, engaging in ambushes, assassinations, and bombings. The resulting Anglo-Irish Treaty led to a partition, establishing an independent Irish Free State in the south, while the north remained under British jurisdiction.
Following the treaty, the IRA fractured into factions, with one group accepting the treaty arrangement and participating in Irish politics, while others opposed the compromise and viewed the new government as illegitimate. The latter faction, known as the "anti-treaty" IRA, engaged in a bitter civil war (1922-1923) against the "pro-treaty" IRA, ultimately resulting in the defeat of the anti-treaty forces.
In the decades that followed, the IRA experienced several splits and periods of relative inactivity, yet continued to engage in sporadic acts of violence against British forces and institutions in Northern Ireland as part of its ongoing armed struggle. These actions included bombings, shootings, and other forms of paramilitary warfare directed against both military and civilian targets. The group's activities intensified during the period of ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland, known as "The Troubles" (late 1960s to late 1990s), where it clashed with British security forces and paramilitary
