The Arms Crisis was a political scandal in the Republic of Ireland, in which two government ministers from the Fianna Fáil political party were accused of attempting to illegally import £100,000 worth of weapons for the Provisional Irish Republican Army. The money for the weapons had been diverted from funds intended as emergency aid for Catholic civilians affected by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A political scandal is a scandal in which politicians engage in various illegal or unethical practices. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland but more often translated - inaccurately - as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... The harp has long been associated with the Irish pound, here on a 1990 Irish pound coin. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA; more commonly referred to as the IRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the army or the RA) is an Irish Republican paramilitary organization dedicated to the end of British rule in Northern Ireland and to a United Ireland. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)4 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages none English is the most widely used language; Irish has official recognition. ...

Charles Haughey, Minister for Finance and Neil Blaney, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries were sacked by the Taoiseach Jack Lynch on May 6 1970, over their involvement in the illegal arms smuggling. Kevin Boland, the Minister for Social Welfare resigned from the government in protest at the sackings. Charles Haughey (Irish name Cathal Ó hEochaidh; born on September 16, 1925), was the sixth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving three terms in office; 1979 to 1981, March 1982 to December 1982 and 1987 to 1992. ... The Minister for Finance is the senior minister at the Department of Finance (An Roinn Airgeadais) in the Irish Government. ... Neil Blaney (October 1, 1922 - November 8, 1995), was a senior Irish politician. ... The Minister for Agriculture and Food is an important position in the Irish Government. ... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. ... John (Jack) Mary Lynch (15 August 1917—20 October 1999), was the fourth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. ... Kevin Boland (1917 - 2001), was a senior Irish politician. ... The Minister for Social and Family Affairs is the senior minister at the Department of Social and Family Affairs (An Roinn Gnothaí Sóisialacha agus Teaghlaigh) in the Irish Government. ...

On 28 May 1970, Haughey and Blaney went on trial in Dublin, together with an Irish Army intelligence officer, Captain James Kelly, a Belfast republican named John Kelly and Belgian businessman Albert Luykx, who had agreed to use his contacts to acquire the weapons. Blaney was found not guilty on July 2 1970, and the other four defendants were cleared on October 23. Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. ... The regular army of the Republic of Ireland has 8,500 personnel, and is divided primarily into three infantry brigades, each responsible for a geographical area of the country: Irish Army brigade areas In addition to the three brigades, there is also the Defence Forces Training Centre, which is responsible... See also: James Kelly (disambiguation) James Kelly (October 16, 1929 - July 16, 2003) was a former Irish Army officer cleared of attempting to import arms for the IRA in the Arms Trial in 1970. ... Belfast (Béal Feirste in Irish) is a city in the United Kingdom. ... Irish Republicanism is the nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a united independent republic. ...

The scandal caused a bitter division in Fianna Fáil between supporters of the sacked ministers Haughey and Blaney and supporters of Jack Lynch, a division which was only intensified when Haughey succeeded Lynch as party leader in 1979. Several opponents of Haughey, led by expelled Fianna Fáil member Desmond O'Malley, formed the Progressive Democrats political party in 1985. Other opponents of Haughey, such as Charlie McCreevy, would have to wait on the Fianna Fáil backbenches until the end of Haughey's political career in 1992 before being appointed as ministers. Desmond Joseph (Dessie) OMalley (born February 2, 1939), was a senior Fianna Fáil politician, the founder of the Progressive Democrats and the partys first leader (1985-1993). ... The Progressive Democrats (in Irish An Páirtí Daonlathach, literal back-translation: The Democratic Party) is a free market liberal party in the Republic of Ireland founded in 1985. ... This article is about the year. ... Charlie McCreevy Charles (Charlie) McCreevy, (born September 1949) is a senior Irish politician. ... A backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislature who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition. ...

External links

• Dáil Éireann - Volume 246 - 07 May, 1970 — first part of Dáil debate on the day following the sacking of Haughey and Blaney
• Dáil Éireann - Volume 246 - 07 May, 1970 — second part of Dáil debate on the day following the sacking of Haughey and Blaney