This Day in History: 25 September 2020
25 September 2005
15 years ago, today, the IRA officially disarmed. The removal of the group's substantial arsenal took place in secret locations in the Republic of Ireland. One Protestant and one Catholic priest, as well as officials from Finland and the United States, served as witnesses for the event. In their supply, automatic weapons, ammunition, missiles and explosives were found. Although many Northern Irish Protestants did not believe that the IRA was actually giving up all of its weapons, the disarmament represented an important step towards peace in the region. After the demilitarisation, IRA splinter groups did, however, threaten to continue the violence.
The IRA was originally founded in 1919 to militarily oppose British rule in Ireland. Since the 1960s, the group had operated as the military arm of Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party. For more than 30 years, the IRA had used terrorist tactics and assassinations to free Northern Ireland from British rule. In April 1998, a peace accord called the Good Friday Agreement was finally signed. This agreement included power-sharing among both Catholics and Protestants in government, a commitment to peace and democracy, and a pledge by paramilitary groups to decommission weapons within two years. The IRA initially refused, despite the fact a ceasefire had been put in place since 1997. This led to the peace process being stalled for almost six years.
Want to find out more about the IRA? Click here for more information, or here for a video that explains more about them.
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