NCJ Number
120274
Date Published
1987
Length
374 pages
Annotation
This book examines the 70 years of political violence in Northern Ireland, and in particular the Irish Republican Army (IRA), its covert organization of gunmen and weapons transfer, the impact this civil war has had on society, and appropriate democratic responses to terrorism.
Abstract
The IRA's revolution began with a unique venture into the armaments industry, in which the organization underwrote the development of the Thompson submachine gun in the US, made the first significant purchases, arranged shipment, and oversaw subsequent supplies. Since then, the IRA has faced a common revolutionary movement dilemma, that of wanting to obtain sophisticated weapons, but having ill-trained guerrillas who cannot effectively use them. The present conflict is examined in terms of the contemporary Irish experience: the problems of economic development, social change in post-industrial Europe, secularization, non-alignment, and democratic stability. Although, in terms of actual casualties, the level of violence has been low, Irish politics have been so various, bitterly fought, and broad, that each death becomes that of a martyr and each hunger strike, boycott, and ambush is exaggerated into folk history. And after 1969, the troubles become institutionalized in the nation's mind, leading to more violence, death, and alienation. The escalation of insurgency and the IRA's strategy and tactics are examined in detail. Finally, the Irish problem is studied within the context of international terrorism.