A Secret History of the IRA
Jun. 22nd, 2019 12:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfbiterEd Moloney – A Secret History of the IRA
Ed Moloney is Irish journalist who has followed IRA – and Sinn Fein – for decades. For this books he also interviewed lots of people, including members of the IRA who will remain anonymous. He admits that this book is also about career of Gerry Adams, one of the most prominent members of the Irish Republican movement.
Book follows various events linked to IRA, including bombing campaigns, weapons smuggling (funded by Guaddafi), toying with socialism (IRA members are mostly conservative Catholics) and the famous hunger strikes. All over the decades it follows Adams' career as a member of IRA/Sinn Fein.
To make a long and complex story short; Essentially Gerry Adams manipulated the militant parts of the Republican movement to strengthen the political wing, Sinn Fein, so that the movement could enter parliamentarian politics. In that he was helped by various people, including other members British government registered as terrorists and some members of the Irish clergy. The end result is known as the Good Friday Agreement that finally stopped the violence.
Sinn Fein begun as the political wing of IRA. It had fielded candidates before but practiced abstentionism, form of political sabotage; they never took their seats in the Irish or British parliaments, especially in the local parliament of Northern Ireland. IRA did not aknowledge the legitimacy of the Republic of Ireland because it did not persist in unifying Ireland and agreed to the creation of Northern Ireland (which lead to short and bloody civil war and assassinations).
It seems it took decades and very careful maneuvering for Adams and his cohorts to make Sinn Fein the dominant part. In addition to militants of various splinter IRAs, they also had to be concerned about ”Loyalists” terrorists, Royal Ulster Constabulary (who were entirely staffed by Irish Protestants) and various Conservative UK governments (especially that of Margaret Thatcher). The fact that just recently (as of 2019) there was a militant bombing attempt against Adams shows that various members of the latest ”Real IRA” still hold a grudge.
Book is not concerned about Brexit but the current developments have certainly spurred the Republican movement, including hopes of finally unifying Ireland. The fact that May's government joined forces with groups that are linked to Loyalists has just made things worse.
Ed Moloney is Irish journalist who has followed IRA – and Sinn Fein – for decades. For this books he also interviewed lots of people, including members of the IRA who will remain anonymous. He admits that this book is also about career of Gerry Adams, one of the most prominent members of the Irish Republican movement.
Book follows various events linked to IRA, including bombing campaigns, weapons smuggling (funded by Guaddafi), toying with socialism (IRA members are mostly conservative Catholics) and the famous hunger strikes. All over the decades it follows Adams' career as a member of IRA/Sinn Fein.
To make a long and complex story short; Essentially Gerry Adams manipulated the militant parts of the Republican movement to strengthen the political wing, Sinn Fein, so that the movement could enter parliamentarian politics. In that he was helped by various people, including other members British government registered as terrorists and some members of the Irish clergy. The end result is known as the Good Friday Agreement that finally stopped the violence.
Sinn Fein begun as the political wing of IRA. It had fielded candidates before but practiced abstentionism, form of political sabotage; they never took their seats in the Irish or British parliaments, especially in the local parliament of Northern Ireland. IRA did not aknowledge the legitimacy of the Republic of Ireland because it did not persist in unifying Ireland and agreed to the creation of Northern Ireland (which lead to short and bloody civil war and assassinations).
It seems it took decades and very careful maneuvering for Adams and his cohorts to make Sinn Fein the dominant part. In addition to militants of various splinter IRAs, they also had to be concerned about ”Loyalists” terrorists, Royal Ulster Constabulary (who were entirely staffed by Irish Protestants) and various Conservative UK governments (especially that of Margaret Thatcher). The fact that just recently (as of 2019) there was a militant bombing attempt against Adams shows that various members of the latest ”Real IRA” still hold a grudge.
Book is not concerned about Brexit but the current developments have certainly spurred the Republican movement, including hopes of finally unifying Ireland. The fact that May's government joined forces with groups that are linked to Loyalists has just made things worse.
