NationMaster - Encyclopedia: IRA Army Council

The IRA Army Council is the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA, a paramilitary group dedicated to bringing about the end of the Union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Its ruling army council has seven members, said by the British and Irish governments to have included Gerry Adams, the president of Sinn Féin. Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish name: Ã“glaigh na hÃ‰ireann) (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 left-wing paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern Ireland... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion. ... Gerard Adams (Irish GearÃ³id Mac Ãdhaimh[1]; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish Republican politician and abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn FÃ©in (19th century). ...

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Background

The IRA is a proscribed organization under the terms of the Offences Against the State Acts in the Republic of Ireland and under equivalent anti-terrorist legislation in the United Kingdom, making membership of it a criminal offence. In the Republic, conviction for membership is possible in the Special Criminal Court, where three judges hear cases without a jury, on the evidence of a Garda superintendent or higher rank, and carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment. Proscription (Latin: proscriptio) is the public identification and official condemnation of enemies of the state. ... Garda SÃochÃ¡na na hÃ‰ireann (pronounced ; Irish for Peace Guard of Ireland, often rendered[1] as The Guardians of the Peace of Ireland) is the police force of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Senior members of Sinn Féin, some of whom have sat on the army council according to the British and Irish governments, together with IRA members not known to be involved in illegal activities, have been effectively immune from prosecution in recent years in order to enable progress in the peace process. For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn FÃ©in (19th century). ... When discussing the history of Northern Ireland, the peace process is generally considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 IRA ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of The Troubles, the Belfast (or Good Friday) Agreement, and subsequent political developments. ...

On 14 January 2005, Martin Ferris (Sinn Féin party, TD for North Kerry) was accused of being a member of the IRA army council in an article in the Irish Times written by journalist Kevin Myers. In the same article, Myers also accused members of Sinn Féin who had visited Downing Street in December 2004, which included Gerry Adams, of sitting on the army council. is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Martin Ferris (born February 1952) is an Irish Sinn FÃ©in politician and a former Provisional IRA member (volunteer). ... A Teachta DÃ¡la (Irish for DÃ¡il Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... The Irish Times is Irelands newspaper of record, launched in the late 1850s. ... Kevin Myers (born Leicester, 30 March 1947) is an Irish journalist and commentator. ... Downing Street Downing Street gates Downing Street is the street in London which contains the buildings that have been, for over two hundred years, the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers, the First Lord of the Treasury, an office held by the Prime Minister of...

On February 20, 2005, Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell publicly named Gerry Adams, Martin Ferris, and Martin McGuinness MP, Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, as members of the army council during a radio interview.^[1] The three men issued a statement the next day denying the charge.^[2] February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... James Martin Pacelli McGuinness MP MLA (Irish: MÃ¡irtÃn Mag Aonghusa,[1] born in Derry 23 May 1950) is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. ...

On 27 July 2005, Michael McDowell expressed his belief that Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris had recently (i.e. within the previous few days) left the IRA army council. However he also claimed that it was his opinion that this by itself did not necessarily amount to a permanent split between the two organisations. is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The accuracy of McDowell's interventions related above is a matter of debate. Sinn Féin supporters would point out that McDowell is a member of the Progressive Democrats, a minor political party and junior Coalition partner, and hence is a direct political competitor of Sinn Féin, both for votes and the junior role in the next Coalition government, and therefore has a vested interest in undermining Sinn Féin.

Membership

In 1985, The Sunday Times named Thomas "Slab" Murphy as a prominent IRA member. Although Murphy denied the allegation, in 1998 he lost his resulting libel case against the newspaper. The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... Thomas Slab Murphy Thomas Slab Murphy (Irish: TomÃ¡s Ã“ MurchÃº; b. ...

At the General Army Convention in May 2005, The Sunday Times reported that following changes were made to the IRA Army Council:^[3]

The Sunday Times reported in July 2005 that security sources believed that the current army council consisted of:^[4] Gerard Adams (Irish GearÃ³id Mac Ãdhaimh[1]; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish Republican politician and abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. ... James Martin Pacelli McGuinness MP MLA (Irish: MÃ¡irtÃn Mag Aonghusa,[1] born in Derry 23 May 1950) is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Martin Ferris (born February 1952) is an Irish Sinn FÃ©in politician and a former Provisional IRA member (volunteer). ...

Thomas Slab Murphy Thomas Slab Murphy (Irish: TomÃ¡s Ã“ MurchÃº; b. ... The Provisional IRAs East Tyrone Brigade was one of the most active Republican paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland over the course of the Troubles. They are believed to have drawn their membership from right across the eastern side of County Tyrone as well as north Monaghan and south Londonderry. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Sean Murray (Irish: SeÃ¡n Ã“ Muireadhaigh) is an Irish republican from Belfast. ... Martin Lynch is a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland and was reportedly a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army Army Council. ... Brian Gillen is a native of Belfast and allegedly a member of the Provisional IRA Army Council[1]. Gillen is nicknamed ginger because of his distinctive hair. ...

Contents

Background

Membership

See also

References

Contents

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Membership

See also

References

Background