The
Continuity Irish Republican Army (
CIRA) is an
Irish republicanIrish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
paramilitaryA paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having the same status...
organisation that emerged from a split in the
Provisional IRAThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation which sought to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
in 1986. It considers itself a direct continuation of the
Irish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(the army of the unilaterally-declared 1919–1922
Irish RepublicThe Irish Republic was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed in the Easter Rising of 1916 and formally established on 21 January 1919 by Dáil Éireann...
) that fought in the
Irish War of IndependenceThe Irish War of Independence was a guerrilla war mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army . It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence, and ended with a truce in July 1921...
; as such, its supporters regard it as the national
armyAn army An army An army (from Latin armata "armed (things)" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
of the
Irish RepublicThe Irish Republic was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed in the Easter Rising of 1916 and formally established on 21 January 1919 by Dáil Éireann...
occupying all 32
countiesThe counties of Ireland are land divisions, formed following the Norman invasion. Between the late 1190s and 1607, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two counties ....
of the island of
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
. It is designated as an illegal organisation in the
Republic of IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
and a designated terrorist organisation in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
1986 IRA General Army Convention
The Continuity IRA has its origins in a split in the Provisional IRA. In September 1986, the Provisional IRA held a meeting of its General Army Convention (GAC), the organisation’s supreme decision-making body. It was the first GAC in sixteen years. The meeting, which like all such meetings was secret, was convened to discuss among other resolutions, the articles of the Provisional IRA constitution which dealt with
abstentionismAbstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in the election itself...
, its opposition to the taking of seats in
Dáil Éireannis the principal chamber of the Oireachtas . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote . Its powers are similar to those of lower houses under many other bicameral parliamentary systems and it is...
. The GAC passed motions (by the necessary two-thirds majority) allowing members of the Provisional IRA to discuss and debate the taking of parliamentary seats, and the removal of the ban on members of the organisation from supporting any successful republican candidate who took their seat in Dáil Éireann.
The Provisional IRA convention delegates opposed to the change in the Constitution claimed that the convention was gerrymandered "by the creation of new IRA organisational structures for the convention, including the combinations of Sligo-Roscommon-Longford and Wicklow-Wexford-Waterford." The only IRA body that supported this viewpoint was the outgoing IRA Executive. Those members of the outgoing Executive who opposed the change comprised a quorum. They met, dismissed those in favour of the change, and set up a new Executive. They contacted
Tom MaguireTom Maguire was an Irish republican who held the rank of commandant-general in the Western Command of the Irish Republican Army and led the South Mayo flying column....
, who had legitimated the Provisionals in 1969, and asked him for support. Maguire had also been contacted by supporters of Gerry Adams, then and now President of Sinn Féin, and a supporter of the change in the Provisional IRA constitution. Maguire rejected Adams' supporters, supported the IRA Executive members opposed to the change, and named the new organisers the Continuity Army Council. In a 1986 statement, he rejected "the legitimacy of an Army Council styling itself the Council of the Irish Republican Army which lends support to any person or organisation styling itself as Sinn Féin and prepared to enter the partition parliament of Leinster House." In 1987, Maguire described the "Continuity Executive" as the "lawful Executive of the Irish Republican Army."
Claim to legitimacy
Thus, similar to the claim put forward by the Provisional IRA after its split from the
Official IRAThe Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA was one of the two organisations—the other being the Provisional Irish Republican Army—that emerged from the split in the Irish Republican Army in 1969–70...
in 1969, the Continuity IRA claims to be the legitimate continuation of the '
Irish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
' or
Óglaigh na hÉireann. This argument is based on the view that the surviving anti-
TreatyThe Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the de facto Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of Independence...
members of the
Second DáilThe Second Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 16 August 1921 until 8 June 1922. From 1919–1922 Dáil Éireann was the revolutionary parliament of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic. The Second Dáil consisted of members elected in 1921...
delegated their "authority" to the
IRA Army CouncilThe IRA Army Council is the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA, a paramilitary group dedicated to bringing about the end of the Union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom...
in 1938. As further justification for this claim,
Tom MaguireTom Maguire was an Irish republican who held the rank of commandant-general in the Western Command of the Irish Republican Army and led the South Mayo flying column....
, one of those anti-Treaty members of the Second Dáil, issued a statement in favour of the Continuity IRA as he had done in 1969 in favour of the Provisionals.
J. Bowyer BellJ. Bowyer Bell was an American historian, artist and art critic.-Background and early life:Bell was born into an Episcopalian family on 15 November 1931 in New York City. The family later moved to Alabama, from where Bell attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, majoring in...
, in his
The Irish Troubles, describes Maguire's opinion in 1986, "abstentionism was a basic tenet of republicanism, a moral issue of principle. Abstentionism gave the movement legitimacy, the right to wage war, to speak for a Republic all but established in the hearts of the people". Maguire's stature was such that a delegation from Gerry Adams sought his support in 1986, but was rejected.
Relationship to other organisations
These changes within the military wing of the
Republican MovementThe Republican Movement is a collective term used to describe the Irish Republican Army and other political, social and paramilitary organisations associated with it.The term is not restricted to any one movement and can include:...
were accompanied by changes in the political wing and at the 1986
Sinn FéinSinn Féin is a political party in Ireland. The current party, led by Gerry Adams, was formed following a split in January 1970 and traces its origins back to the original Sinn Féin party formed in 1905. It is a major party of Irish republicanism and its political ideology is left wing...
Ard Fheis (party conference), which followed the IRA Convention, the party's policy of
abstentionismAbstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in the election itself...
, which forbade Sinn Féin elected representatives from taking seats in the
OireachtasThe Oireachtas is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland, sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
, the parliament of
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, was dropped. On November 2, the 628 delegates present cast their votes, the result being 429 to 161. The traditionalists, having lost at both conventions, walked out of the Mansion House, met that evening at the West County Hotel, and reformed as
Republican Sinn FéinRepublican Sinn Féin is a political party operating in Ireland. It emerged in 1986 as a result of a split in Sinn Féin...
.
According to a report in the
Cork Examiner, the Continuity IRA's first chief of staff was
Dáithí Ó ConaillDáithí Ó Conaill was an Irish republican, a member of the IRA Army Council, vice-president of Sinn Féin and Republican Sinn Féin. He was also the first chief of staff of the Continuity IRA.-Joins IRA:...
, who also served as the first chairman of RSF from 1986 to 1987. The Continuity IRA and RSF perceive themselves as forming a "true"
Republican MovementThe Republican Movement is a collective term used to describe the Irish Republican Army and other political, social and paramilitary organisations associated with it.The term is not restricted to any one movement and can include:...
.
Structure and status
The leadership of the Continuity IRA is believed to be based in the
MunsterMunster is a province of Ireland, located in the south-west of the island. The province is not used as an administration division as such, with the counties filling that role. Much of the area aside from Clare is represented internationally by the South constituency of the European Parliament...
and
UlsterUlster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island.Ulster is composed of nine counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone are part of Northern Ireland; while Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of the Republic of Ireland.-Terminology:The...
areas. It is alleged that its
chief of staff is a
LimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,
[Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available.] and the principal city in County Limerick...
man and that a number of other key members are from that county. He is believed to have been in this position since the death of
Dáithí Ó ConaillDáithí Ó Conaill was an Irish republican, a member of the IRA Army Council, vice-president of Sinn Féin and Republican Sinn Féin. He was also the first chief of staff of the Continuity IRA.-Joins IRA:...
, the first chief of staff, in 1991. In 2004 the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(US) government believed the Continuity IRA consisted of fewer than fifty hardcore activists. In 2005, Irish Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Michael McDowellMichael McDowell is a senior counsel in the Bar Council of Ireland and a former politician.A grandson of Irish revolutionary Eoin MacNeill, McDowell was a founding member of the Progressive Democrats political party in the mid-1980s...
told
Dáil Éireannis the principal chamber of the Oireachtas . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote . Its powers are similar to those of lower houses under many other bicameral parliamentary systems and it is...
that the organisation had a maximum of 150 members.
The CIRA is an illegal organisation under UK (section 11(1) of the
Terrorism Act 2000The Terrorism Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It supersedes and repeals the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland Act 1996....
) and Irish law due to the use of 'IRA' in the group's name in a situation analogous to that of the
Real Irish Republican ArmyThe Real Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Real IRA or True IRA and styling itself as Óglaigh na hÉireann , is a paramilitary organisation which aims to bring about a united Ireland. The RIRA was formed in 1997 following a split in the Provisional IRA...
(RIRA). Membership of the organisation is punishable by a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment under UK law. On 13 July 2004, the US government designated the CIRA as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organization' (FTO). This made it illegal for Americans to provide material support to the CIRA, requires US financial institutions to block the group's assets and denies alleged CIRA members visas into the US.
External aid and arsenal
The US government suspects the Continuity IRA of having received funds and arms from supporters in the United States. Security sources in Ireland have expressed the suspicion that, in cooperation with the RIRA, the Continuity IRA may have acquired arms and material from the
BalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. They also suspect that the Continuity IRA arsenal contains some weapons that were taken from Provisional IRA arms dumps, including a few dozen rifles, machine guns, and pistols; a small amount of the explosive
SemtexSemtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications...
; and a few dozen detonators.
Activities
Initially, the Continuity IRA did not reveal its existence, either in the form of press statements or paramilitary activity. Although the
Garda Síochána of the Peace of Ireland", often rendered as "The Guardians of the Peace (of Ireland)" and known in everyday speech as the Gardaí is the police force of the Republic of Ireland....
had suspicions that the organisation existed, they were unsure of its name, labelling it the "Irish National Republican Army". On January 21, 1994, on the 75th anniversary of the First Dáil Éireann, Continuity IRA volunteers offered a "final salute" to Tom Maguire by firing over his grave, and a public statement and a photo were published in
SaoirseSaoirse is a word in the Irish language, meaning “freedom”. It has been used as a name in several contexts.-Given name:Saoirse is a name given to females in Ireland...
.
It was only after the Provisional IRA declared a ceasefire in 1994 that the Continuity IRA became active, announcing its intention to continue the campaign against British rule. The CIRA continues to oppose the
Belfast AgreementThe Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement or the Good Friday Agreement , and occasionally as the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. It was signed in Belfast on 10 April 1998 by the British and Irish governments and endorsed by...
and, unlike the Provisional IRA (and the Real IRA in 1998), as of 2009 the CIRA has not announced a ceasefire or agreed to participate in weapons decommissioning - nor is there any evidence that it will. In the Eighteenth
Independent Monitoring CommissionThe Independent Monitoring Commission is an organization founded on 7 January, 2004, by a treaty between the British and Irish governments, signed in Dublin on 25 November, 2003.-Remit:The IMC's remit includes:...
's report, the RIRA, the CIRA and the
Irish National Liberation ArmyThe Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a united Ireland....
(INLA) were deemed a potential future threat. The CIRA was labeled "active, dangerous and committed and... capable of a greater level of violent and other crime." More than the other Republican and loyalist paramilitaries. Like the
Óglaigh na hÉireannÓglaigh na hÉireann or Óglaıġ na h-Éıreann is an Irish language title meaning "Warriors of Ireland". It has been used by various armed groups in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, including the Irish Defence Forces and several groups calling themselves "Irish Republican Army"...
(ONH) and the RIRA, they too sought funds for expansion. They are also known to have worked with the INLA.
The Continuity IRA has been involved in a number of bombing and shooting incidents. Targets of the CIRA have included
British militaryThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
, police service (
Royal Ulster ConstabularyThe Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary , the Belfast Borough Police Force and the Londonderry Borough Police Force...
, etc.), and
Ulster loyalistUlster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. Some individuals claim that Ulster loyalists are working-class unionists willing to use violence in order to achieve their aims...
paramilitariesA paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having the same status...
. As of 2005, the CIRA is believed to have an established presence or capability of launching attacks on the island of
BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
. A bomb defused in Dublin in December 2005 was believed to have been the work of the CIRA. In February 2006, the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) blamed the CIRA for planting four bombs in Northern Ireland during the final quarter of 2005, as well as several
hoax bomb warningsA bomb threat is generally defined as a verbal or written threat to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage or injuries, whether or not such a device actually exists. Typically delivered by phone, or other telecommunication means, the great majority of such threats are...
. The IMC also blames the CIRA for the killings of two former CIRA members in Belfast, who had established a rival organisation.
The CIRA continued to be active in both planning and undertaking attacks on the
Police Service of Northern IrelandThe Police Service of Northern Ireland GC is the police service that covers Northern Ireland...
(PSNI). The IMC said they tried to create troubles to lure police forth, while they have also taken to
stoningStoning, or lapidation, refers to a form of capital punishment. For the method of metalworking using sharpening stones see stoning ....
and using petrol bombs. In addition, other assaults ,
robberyRobbery is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear. Precise definitions of the offence may vary between...
,
tiger kidnappingA tiger kidnapping or tiger robbery is a crime in which an abduction forms part of a robbery. A person of importance to the victim is held hostage as collateral until the victim has met the criminal's demands. It is called a tiger kidnapping because of the predatory stalking that precedes it; the...
,
extortion'Extortion', outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly...
, fuel laundering and
smugglingSmuggling, also known as trafficking, is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons past a point where prohibited, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
were undertaken by the group. The CIRA also actively took part in recruiting and training members, including disgruntled former
Provisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation which sought to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(PIRA) members. As a result of this continued activity the IMC said the group remained "a very serious threat."
On 10 March 2009 the CIRA claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting of a PSNI officer in
CraigavonCraigavon is an urban area in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was designated as a new town in 1965 and named after James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. It was intended to be a linear city incorporating Lurgan and Portadown, but this plan largely...
,
County ArmaghCounty Armagh is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster and is part of Northern Ireland. It was named after the town of Armagh....
, the first police fatality in Northern Ireland since 1998. The officer was shot dead by a sniper as he and a colleague investigated "suspicious activity" at a house nearby when a window was smashed by youths causing the occupant to phone the police. The PSNI officers responded to the emergency call giving a CIRA sniper the opportunity to shoot and kill PC Stephen Carroll.
Internal tension
In 2005, several members of the CIRA, who were serving prison sentences in
Portlaoise PrisonPortlaoise Prison is a maximum security prison located in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium security prison situated directly beside it....
for paramilitary activity, left the organisation. Some transferred to the INLA landing of the prison, but the majority of those who left are now independent and on E4 landing. The remaining CIRA prisoners have moved to D Wing. Supporters of the Continuity IRA leadership claim that this resulted from an internal disagreement, which although brought to a conclusion, was followed by some people leaving the organisation anyway. Supporters of the disaffected members established the
Concerned Group for Republican PrisonersThe Concerned Group for Republican Prisoners is an Irish republican prisoners' support group.The CGRP was established on September 10, 2005 as the result of an internal dispute within the ranks of Continuity Irish Republican Army prisoners being held at Portlaoise Prison. That dispute led to a...
in their support. Most of those who had left went back to the CIRA, or disassociated themselves from the CGRP. As of 2009, only one prisoner is still aligned to the CGRP.
In February 2006, the
Independent Monitoring CommissionThe Independent Monitoring Commission is an organization founded on 7 January, 2004, by a treaty between the British and Irish governments, signed in Dublin on 25 November, 2003.-Remit:The IMC's remit includes:...
claimed in a report on paramilitary activity that two groups, styling themselves as
Saoirse na hÉireannSaoirse na hÉireann , abbreviated SnaÉ, is a small Irish republican paramilitary group that formed in 2005 and mainly contains disaffected, young republicans from the Belfast area....
and
Óglaigh na hÉireannÓglaigh na hÉireann is a small republican paramilitary group that split from the Continuity Irish Republican Army in 2006.-Name:The Irish language title Óglaigh na hÉireann means "Warriors of Ireland"...
, had been formed after a split in the Continuity IRA.