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Was the Irish Republican Army Catholic or Protestant?

Was the Irish Republican Army Catholic or Protestant?

Unionists and loyalists, who for historical reasons were mostly Ulster Protestants, wanted Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom. Irish nationalists and republicans, who were mostly Irish Catholics, wanted Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join a united Ireland.

Is Northern Ireland Protestant or Catholic?

Nationalists are overwhelmingly Catholic and descend from the population predating the settlement, with a minority from the Scottish Highlands as well as some converts from Protestantism. Discrimination against nationalists under the Stormont government (1921–1972) gave rise to the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

What were the IRA fighting for?

The Irish Republican Army (IRA; Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reunification and bring about an independent, socialist …

Is the IRA communist?

The Officials were Marxist-Leninists and worked to form a united front with other Irish communist groups, named the Irish National Liberation Front (NLF). The Official IRA was linked to the political party Official Sinn Féin, later renamed Sinn Féin – the Workers Party and then the Workers’ Party of Ireland.

Is Southern Ireland Catholic?

The predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland is Christianity, with the largest church being the Catholic Church. The Constitution of Ireland says that the state may not endorse any particular religion and guarantees freedom of religion.

Is Dublin Protestant or Catholic?

Dublin and two of the ‘border counties’ were over 20% Protestant. In 1991, however, all but four counties were less than 6% Protestant; the rest were less than 1%. There were no counties in the Republic of Ireland which had experienced a rise in the relative Protestant population over the period 1861 to 1991.

Is Dublin mostly Catholic or Protestant?

What are Sinn Fein beliefs?

Sinn Féin
Ideology Irish republicanism Democratic socialism Left-wing nationalism
Political position Centre-left to left-wing
European Parliament group The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL
Dáil Éireann 37 / 160

Why was the Irish National Liberation Army formed?

It seeks to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist republic encompassing all of Ireland. It is the paramilitary wing of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). The INLA was founded by former members of the Official Irish Republican Army who opposed that group’s ceasefire.

Who was the first person killed in the Irish National Liberation Army?

On 20 February 1975, Hugh Ferguson, an INLA member and an Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) branch chairperson, was the first person to be killed in the feud. One of the first military operations of the INLA was the shooting of OIRA leader Sean Garland in Dublin on 1 March.

When did the Catholic riots start in Northern Ireland?

On 14–15 August loyalists burned out several Catholic streets in Belfast in the Northern Ireland riots of August 1969. IRA units offered resistance, however very few weapons were available for the defence of Catholic areas.

Who are the paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland?

Paramilitary groups were active on both sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide, including the IRA, the UDA, the UVF and the INLA. Since the peace process began, several paramilitary splinter groups have continued to operate. The IRA’s armed campaign began to incorporate Sinn Féin’s political strategy in the 1980s.