A Broad Church 2 : The Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland, 1980-1989

In this fascinating sequel to the ground-breaking publication of Broad Church in 2019, A Broad Church 2 reveals the true history of the Provisional Republican movement in the south of Ireland in the cataclysmic decade of the 1980s. This period saw a sea-change in the movement, with the political wing increasingly coming to fore of the republican struggle. This led to a rethink on the movement’ s policy of abstentionism both within the military and political movements, culminating in the historic overturning of the policy in the Republic. This growing politicisation supplemented the armed struggle, which saw the most significant arms importations in the IRA’ s history take place in the South during the mid-1980s. With the acquisition of an array of new weaponry, the IRA took on larger and more prestigious British targets. The decade also saw a return to attacking commercial targets in Britain in a concerted and systematic strategy for the first time since the mid-1970s. Outlining the developments year by year, and the Irish state’ s attempts to deal with the Provisional IRA, A Broad Church 2 presents a comprehensive and fascinating picture of the evolution of the republican movement. "During its three-decade military campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland, the Provisional IRA used the Republic of Ireland as a base for training, supply, financing and support. This groundbreaking book is the first to detail just how integral the Republic was to the voracity of the Provisional IRA's campaign at every level. The amount of sympathy and support in Irish society for militant republicanism demonstrates that the longevity of the 'Troubles' was due in large part to such widespread tolerance and aid. In the early years of its campaign, active support for the Provisional IRA came from men and women from the entire spectrum of the Irish political scene, as former IRA volunteers attest to in interviews and previously unpublished accounts of training camps in the Republic. Juried courts for IRA suspects were phased out, as republicans were acquitted in cases of blatant IRA activity. Juries occasionally celebrated with or openly congratulated the defendants. In discussions with the British Government, Taoiseach Jack Lynch even named judges who were deemed sympathetic to the IRA. The degree of activity, training, financing, armed robberies, demonstrations and goodwill for the IRA in the Republic is rarely, if ever, acknowledged in Irish mainstream media or the education curriculum. A Broad Church: The Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland, 1969-1980 will dramatically change that view forever"-- Provided by publisher "During its three-decade military campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland, the Provisional IRA used the Republic of Ireland as a base for training, supply, financing and support. This groundbreaking book is the first to detail just how integral the Republic was to the voracity of the Provisional IRA's campaign at every level. The amount of sympathy and support in Irish society for militant republicanism demonstrates that the longevity of the 'Troubles' was due in large part to such widespread tolerance and aid. In the early years of its campaign, active support for the Provisional IRA came from men and women from the entire spectrum of the Irish political scene, as former IRA volunteers attest to in interviews and previously unpublished accounts of training camps in the Republic. Juried courts for IRA suspects were phased out, as republicans were acquitted in cases of blatant IRA activity. Juries occasionally celebrated with or openly congratulated the defendants. In discussions with the British Government, Taoiseach Jack Lynch even named judges who were deemed sympathetic to the IRA. The degree of activity, training, financing, armed robberies, demonstrations and goodwill for the IRA in the Republic is rarely, if ever, acknowledged in Irish mainstream media or the education curriculum. A Broad Church: The Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland, 1969-1980 will dramatically change that view forever."--Back cover In this fascinating sequel to the ground-breaking publication of A Broad Church in 2019, A Broad Church 2 reveals the true history of the Provisional Republican movement in the south of Ireland in the cataclysmic decade of the 1980s. This period saw a sea-change in the movement, with the political wing increasingly coming to fore of the republican struggle. This led to a rethink on the movement's policy of abstentionism both within the military and political movements, culminating in the historic overturning of the policy in the Republic. This growing politicisation supplemented the armed struggle, which saw the most significant arms importations in the IRA's history take place in the South during the mid-1980s. With the acquisition of an array of new weaponry, the IRA took on larger and more prestigious British targets. The decade also saw a return to attacking commercial targets in Britain in a concerted and systematic strategy for the first time since the mid-1970s. Outlining the developments year by year, and the Irish state's attempts to deal with the Provisional IRA, A Broad Church 2 presents a comprehensive and fascinating picture of the evolution of the republican movement. Introduction 1. They Made an Awful Lot of Enemies for Themselves: 1980 2. This Is the Real Thing, We Are the IRA: 1981 3. Sticks of Gelignite in Their Lunch Boxes: 1982–83 4. The Rule of Law Must Be Observed: 1984 5. We Will Lead You to the Republic: 1985–86 6. The IRA Could Start a Civil War with That Lot: 1987 7. A Sign of Respect for the Flag: 1988–89 Conclusion: Difficult to Envisage a Military Defeat