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Members of the Real IRA attend an Easter Rising anniversary event last year. The Real IRA is one of three groups which have merged to reclaim the title of the 'Irish Republican Army'. Peter Morrison/AP

Dissident republican groups merge to form ‘new IRA’

The Real IRA is joining with Republican Action Against Drugs and others in a “unified structure” to reclaim the IRA name.

THREE MAJOR dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland have merged to form a new group under the name of the Irish Republican Army.

In a statement sent to The Guardian, the Real IRA, the Derry-based Republican Action Against Drugs, and a coalition of other smaller armed groups said they were coming together under a “unified structure” with a single leadership body.

Describing itself as the Irish Republican Army, the group says its leadership remains “committed to the full realisation of the ideals and principles enshrined in the Proclamation of 1916″.

The statement, signed off by “Army Council … IRA”, describes the current situation in Northern Ireland as a “phoney peace, rubber-stamped by a token legislature in Stormont”.

“The IRA’s mandate for armed struggle derives from Britain’s denial of the fundamental right of the Irish people to national self-determination and sovereignty,” the group said.

“So long as Britain persists in its denial of national and democratic rights in Ireland the IRA will have to continue to assert those rights.”

Fractured movement

The Guardian’s Henry McDonald, a seasoned reporter of the Northern Irish peace process, said the merger left only the Continuity IRA – which did not begin paramilitary operations until after the Provisional IRA ceasefire in 1994 – as a separate paramilitary group.

Groups styling themselves as the IRA consider themselves to be the legitimate successor to the earlier Irish Republican Army, which was recognised as the official army of the first Dáil in 1919.

That Dáil – consisting of members elected to the House of Commons from constituencies across Irish constituencies – claimed to represent all 32 counties of Ireland as an independent, autonomous legislature.

The original IRA believed that no Irish government had the authority to accept the partition of Ireland, or to govern only 26 of its counties – meaning any southern government after partition was illegitimate.

It therefore believed that it, as an organ of the last “official” Irish government, retained its status as that country’s official army.

Poll: Should the IRA apologise to all of its victims?

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51 Comments
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    Mute reg morrisey
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 8:49 AM

    What is the difference between a jet engine and a pilot?

    The jet engine stops whining when the plane shuts down.

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 10:25 AM

    Aer Lingus CEOs are making millions per annum, even through covid the top 3 in the company were splitting some €4million between them while on base salaries way over what these folks are looking for. Take what you can get Pilots!!!

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    Mute Unridden Ana
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 12:11 PM

    I don’t know about you but if I’m getting into a metal tube to fly at 1000km/h, 6 miles above terra firma, I want to know that the guy at the pointy end is well rested, stress free and happy in his job and is ready and willing to save us all if the grim reeper comes knocking!! Pay them what they want!

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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 9:25 AM

    Pilot’s favourite song, gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down (even if I’m being unreasonable).

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 9:09 AM

    Big lazy bozo pilots ruined everyone’s holidays.

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 10:47 AM

    Are people getting reimbursed of their ruined holiday with all the costs included ? If not sue them ! Ruin their paradise, go after them, make them think twice before they do it again !

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    Mute sean weir
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 12:06 PM

    @Dominic Leleu: first world problems

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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 4:40 PM

    @Dominic Leleu: The blame here falls squarely with the pilots.

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    Mute KB
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 4:49 PM

    @Pat Barry: LOL

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    Mute KB
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 7:55 PM

    €269,000 Euro share bonus received by invisible ‘CEO’ Lynn Embleton last week. All while she watched her understaffed operation cause flight cancellations and untold misery for the travelling public. What working conditions did she sacrifice in order to get this? She can’t say she increased her productivity anyway!

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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 8:19 PM

    @KB: Understaffed? The reason for the cancellations is the action by the pilots.

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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 9:06 PM

    @KB: 2022 Aer Lingus staff = 4,291/ passengers carried 9.02M
    2022 Iberia staff = 15,499/ passengers carried 88.4M

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    Mute KB
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 9:58 PM

    @Pat Barry: they don’t have 4,291 pilots. They are understaffed and that is why the work to rule led to so many cancellations.

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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 10:26 PM

    @KB: That’s total employees, how can Iberia carry 10 times the amount of passengers with over 3 times the staff, they must be seriously understaffed.

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