Continuity Irish Republican Army

Continuity Irish Republican Army
Óglaigh na hÉireann
LeadershipContinuity Army Council
Dates of operation1986–present[1]
AllegianceIrish Republic[n 1]
Group(s)
Active regions
Ideology
SizeAbout 50 (as of July 2012)[3][4]
AlliesNIRA[5]
Opponents
Battles and wars
Designated as a terrorist group by
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The Continuity Irish Republican Army (Continuity IRA or CIRA), styling itself as the Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann[6]), is an Irish republican paramilitary group that aims to bring about a united Ireland. It claims to be a direct continuation of the original Irish Republican Army and the national army of the Irish Republic that was proclaimed in 1916. It emerged from a split in the Provisional IRA in 1986 but did not become active until the Provisional IRA ceasefire of 1994. It is an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland and is designated a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom,[7] New Zealand[8] and the United States.[9] It has links with the political party Republican Sinn Féin (RSF).[10]

Since 1994, the CIRA has waged a campaign in Northern Ireland against the British Army and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary. This is part of a wider campaign against the British security forces by dissident republican paramilitaries. It has targeted the security forces in gun attacks and bombings, as well as with grenades, mortars and rockets. The CIRA has also carried out bombings with the goal of causing economic harm and/or disruption, as well as many punishment attacks on alleged criminals.

To date, it has been responsible for the death of one PSNI officer.[11] The CIRA was smaller and less active than the now-defunct Real IRA, and there have been a number of splits within the organisation since the mid-2000s.

  1. ^ Young, Connla (26 January 2018). "Republican groups have no plans for ÓNH-style ceasefire". The Irish News. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  2. ^ Richard English, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA (ISBN 0-330-49388-4), p. 106.
  3. ^ "Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations". U.S. Department of State.
  4. ^ "Terrorist Organization Profiles". start.umd.edu. START – National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism.
  5. ^ "New IRA and Continuity IRA discuss joint attacks". The Times. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  6. ^ O'Leary, Brendan (2019). A Treatise on Northern Ireland, Volume I: Colonialism. Oxford University Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-0199243341.
  7. ^ "Schedule 2: Proscribed Organisations". Terrorism Act 2000. UK Public General Acts. Vol. 2000 c. 11. 20 July 2000. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Lists associated with Resolution 1373". New Zealand Police. 20 July 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014. 7/13/2004: Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA)
  9. ^ "Foreign Terrorist Organizations". United States Department of State. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  10. ^ Lowe, Josh (8 February 2016). "Continuity IRA: Four things you need to know about the group claiming responsibility for the Dublin weigh-in murder". Newsweek. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Draft List of Deaths Related to the Conflict in 2009". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2024.


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