Table of Contents
Where did the IRA get ar18s?
Utilizing a gun runner in the United States was George Harrison (no relation to the Beatles band member, but ironic nonetheless), the IRA procured large numbers of AR-18s/180s from a Corsican arms dealer named George de Meo.
How did IRA get weapons?
The two main sources of weaponry for the IRA have been the USA and Libya. The main gun-running network in the USA was controlled by a veteran Irish Republican called George Harrison.
How did the IRA get ArmaLite rifles?
According to Brendan Hughes, a key figure in the Belfast Brigade, the IRA smuggled small arms from the United States by sea on Queen Elizabeth 2 from New York via Southampton, through Irish members of her crew, until the network was cracked down on by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1980s.
How was the IRA structured?
An IRA company was usually organised at the townland level, and could contain between 60 and 200 men. It adopted the British army command structure of companies, battalions, brigades, divisions and then at the top was general headquarters.
Did the IRA use aks?
Security sources suspected the IRA had acquired AK-74 rifles in the former Soviet bloc, or it was part of an earlier Libyan shipment. Smuggled to Ireland by the Harrison Network. Smuggled to Ireland by the Harrison Network. Dubbed the “Tejas rifle” by security forces and media after being seized in Belfast.
Why did the IRA store armaments in Northern Ireland?
Apart from political considerations, the IRA was conscious of the difficulties of procuring and importing new stocks of weaponry. One of the roles of the IRA’s Southern Command is to store much of the organization’s armaments. Small stocks are stored within Northern Ireland for the immediate use of active service units (ASUs).
Was the IRA ever defeated?
For understandable reasons, Gerry Adams chose the 10th anniversary of the end of the IRA’s campaign against Britain – on July 28th, 2005 – to repeat a claim that the IRA was never defeated.
Why did the Provisional Army Council split from the IRA?
Dec. 28, 1969 : Aiming to protect the Catholic minority from discrimination from loyalist militants and the Protestant-Majority police force, the Provisional Army Council, officially splinters off from the IRA.
Why did the IRA split into two factions?
In 1969, demanding British withdrawal from Northern Ireland but differing on tactics, the IRA split into two factions: officials and provisionals. Officials sought independence through peace, while the provisionals used violence to further its efforts, which resulted in an estimated 1,800 deaths, including more than 600 civilians.