Official Irish Republican Army

E18015

The Official Irish Republican Army was a Marxist-oriented Irish republican paramilitary group active mainly in Northern Ireland that pursued both armed struggle and political activism during the late 1960s and 1970s.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Official IRA 4

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Irish republican organization
Marxist organization
paramilitary organization
activeIn Northern Ireland
Ireland
surface form: Republic of Ireland
alignedWith Soviet-style Marxism
alsoKnownAs Official Irish Republican Army
surface form: Official IRA

the Officials
armedStruggleCombinedWith political activism
calledCeasefire May 1972
classification left-wing paramilitary group
conflict The Troubles
country Ireland
distinguishedFrom Irish National Liberation Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
endTime mid-1970s (as an active armed group)
goal end of British rule in Northern Ireland
establishment of a socialist republic in Ireland
ideology Irish republicanism
Marxism
socialism
language English
leadershipIdeology Marxist-Leninist influenced
legacy influenced the Workers' Party of Ireland
notableEvent 1970s internecine conflict with Provisional IRA
involved in early stages of the Troubles
notableInternalConflict splits leading to formation of Irish National Liberation Army
organizationalStructure clandestine armed organization
partOf Official republican movement
politicalWing Sinn Féin
surface form: Official Sinn Féin

Workers' Party of Ireland
positionOnViolence declared defensive role after 1972 ceasefire
precededBy pre-1969 Irish Republican Army
primaryOpponents British Army
Royal Ulster Constabulary
loyalist paramilitaries
recruitmentBase Catholic working-class areas
region Dublin
Ulster
separatedFrom Irish Republican Army
slogan National liberation and socialism
startTime 1969
status largely inactive as an armed group after late 1970s
usedTactics armed attacks
bombings
targeted shootings

Referenced by (10)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Official Irish Republican Army alsoKnownAs Official Irish Republican Army
this entity surface form: Official IRA
the Officials associatedWith Official Irish Republican Army
this entity surface form: Official IRA
Ulster Defence Regiment engagedWith Official Irish Republican Army
Official republican movement hasPart Official Irish Republican Army
this entity surface form: Official IRA
Official republican movement militaryWing Official Irish Republican Army
this entity surface form: Official IRA
Operation Banner opponent Official Irish Republican Army
The Troubles participant Official Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army separatedFrom Official Irish Republican Army
Irish National Liberation Army splitFrom Official Irish Republican Army
pre-1969 Irish Republican Army splitInto Official Irish Republican Army