Summary
This report examines the role played by British intelligence and the British Army in collusion with the IRA and other paramilitary terrorist organizations in supplying weapons and explosives, allowing bombings to go forward, and even committing murder in the name of “fighting terror.”

Analysis
The Original IRA

The original Irish Republican Army (IRA) was in existence from 1916 until 1923. It was created at a time when the Irish were demanding Home Rule. The Government of Ireland Act was passed in 1914, giving Royal Assent to a form of Irish provisional government. However, its implementation was postponed until after World War I.

The Easter Rising

The Easter Rising occurred in Dublin on April 24, 1916, where Irish rebels demanding independence fought for a week, ultimately surrendering. The British oppressed the rebellion with 15,000 troops, and roughly 500 people were killed, half of which were innocent bystanders.

The IRA and Sinn Féin

On October 27, 1917, the Irish Volunteers, who were defeated in the Easter Rising, held a convention coinciding with the Sinn Féin party conference. It was at this meeting that the IRA was officially formed, with many mutual members in the Sinn Féin party. Sinn Féin MPs elected in 1918 decided not to represent Ireland in Westminster, but instead created an “Assembly of Ireland.”