IRA Issue 6: Nonviolent political activities

1
IRA Issue 6   Non-violent political activities

• Political Wing of the IRA
• The Sinn Fein is the political wing of the IRA.
  It has helped the IRA gain a political foothold
  in Ireland that it otherwise would not have
  achieved through mere violence
• The Sinn Fein has reorganized over the years,
  creating several different and distinct
  organizations all proclaiming to be descendents
  of the Original Sinn Fein. Each of these
  organizations have a unique political strategy
  aimed at recruiting Irish citizens to support
  their cause
• Original Sinn Fein
• Founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith
• Easter Rising of 1916 united IRA with Sinn Fein
• Main political ideology was Republicanism
• Split in 1969, creating the Official Sinn Fein
  and the Provisional Sinn Fein
• Official Sinn Fein
• Main political ideology was Marxism

2
IRA Issue 6   Non-violent political activities

• More traditional in its political goals than the
  Provisional Sinn Fein
• Formed political connections with the communist
  governments in other countries
• Wanted equality between the Protestants and the
  Catholics
• Changed its name in 1977 to Sinn Fein The
  Workers Party and then later to The Workers Party
• Provisional Sinn Fein
• Were often considered extreme republican due to
  their acceptance of violence
• Supported the Provisional IRA when it was formed
• Currently called the Sinn Fein
• Republican Sinn Fein
• Split from the Provisional Sinn Fein in 1986 due
  to a disagreement with the Sinn Fein over the
  legitimacy of the Irish government
• Believed that the government created by the
  Original Sinn Fein was the legitimate government,
  not the government created by the British in 1922
  in the Anglo-Irish Treaty

3
IRA Issue 6   Non-violent political activities

• Worked closely with the Continuity IRA and other
  organizations
• 32 County Sovereignty Movement
• Split from the Republican Sinn Fein in 1997
• Worked in conjunction with the Republican IRA
• Goal is to Unite Ireland from the 6 county/26
  county split and end British occupation of
  Northern Ireland
• Aligned with the Real IRA