Provos

The term "Provos" refers to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), a republican paramilitary organization that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland and reunify Ireland. The IRA originated from the Irish Volunteers, founded in 1913, and aimed to use armed force to achieve an independent Irish republic.12

Following the Anglo-Irish War, the IRA split over the Anglo-Irish Treaty, leading to the Irish Civil War. While the main faction supported the treaty, a dissenting group, the "Irregulars," continued armed resistance. The IRA was declared illegal multiple times and engaged in violence, including bombings in England, and sought assistance from Adolf Hitler during World War II.1

In 1969, the IRA divided into "Official" and "Provisional" wings. The Officials later abandoned violence, while the Provisionals, or Provos, continued to use terrorism as a tactic. The Real IRA is a splinter group that emerged from the Provisionals, continuing violent opposition to the Good Friday Agreement. The Provos were responsible for numerous bombings and assassinations, killing approximately 1,800 people between 1969 and 1994.13