What Is the IRA in Ireland?
Most people think of the Irish Republican Army, or IRA, as the militant organization that began a violent campaign in the late 1960s to end British rule over Northern Ireland and unite the province with the Irish republic. This organization actually grew out of a much older IRA, which waged a successful war for Ireland’s independence in the early 20th century. Rising tensions in Northern Ireland splintered the IRA, resulting in the creation of the group that fought for more than 30 years for a united Ireland before ending its armed campaign in 2005.
