Armed militias in Ireland

IRA

Armed militias in Ireland Irish independence

Irish Volunteers

The Irish Volunteers are a militia founded in November 1913 to defend Home Rule, a law designed to restore Ireland’s independence and…

Armed militias in Ireland

The Real IRA

The Real IRA, also known as RIRA or IRA Véritable in French, is a dissident branch of the IRA. This faction is…

Armed militias in Ireland Irish independence

Black and Tans

“Black and Tans” is the name given to a British army of the 1920s. Sadly notorious for its acts of extreme violence,…

Armed militias in Ireland Irish independence

The Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles are a special unit of the IRA, created in 1920 by Michael Collins, as part of the fight for Irish independence.

Armed militias in Ireland Irish independence

The Cumann na mBan

The Cumann na mBan was an Irish republican militia, made up of women. Battle-hardened, they are still celebrated today for their courage.

Armed militias in Ireland Irish independence

The Royal Ulster Constabulary

The RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) is a Protestant police force acting on behalf of the United Kingdom. Its role is to maintain…

Armed militias in Ireland

Ireland has unfortunately faced numerous political and military conflicts in the past. Its regular confrontation with the British, combined with deep territorial struggles, has given rise to many armed groups throughout Irish history.

Irish Armed Groups

Between Armed Conflicts and Ideological Struggles…

Most of the armed militias existing in Ireland were born from a single conflict: that between the Irish and the British. This centuries-old quarrel often escalated into violent clashes, leading to the creation of militias on both sides, such as the Black and Tans (on the English side), and the IRA (on the Irish side)…

Ideologically, the two sides have continuously opposed each other over the question of the independence of Ireland and Northern Ireland…

Although the conflict no longer exists in the Republic of Ireland, some militias still operate in Northern Ireland (through actions that are sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent). Here is an overview of the different groups that have marked Irish history, whether they are still active today or not: