Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Irish Republican Army: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As IRA • Provisional Irish Republican Army
Role In the Troubles
Date January 1919 - present
Areas Of Involvement guerrilla warfare • terrorism
Related People Eamon de Valera • Martin McGuinness • Bobby Sands • Michael Collins • Robert Erskine Childers • David O’Connell

Did You Know?

  • The IRA likely still has an active and organized command structure but seems to focus on political action rather than paramilitary action.
  • The IRA targeted pubs that were popular with off-duty soldiers.
  • Bloody Sunday caused many young individuals seeking revenge against the British army to join the IRA .

Photos

Bobby Sands's funeral procession
A utility box painted with the Irish flag colors and spray-painted with the letters IRA in black, located on a sidewalk in Derry, Northern Ireland.
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics