Being English myself I keep an eye on whats going on and it good to see things are much better than they used to be, especially as I remember the 90s. Since the peace treaty, its a small breakaway group known as the "Real IRA" who are still fighting, but its worth noting they are pretty small and more of a gang than the IRA of the 70s and 80s.
There's a few Irish people on here I think who ave posted about how other Irish gangsters in recent times have taken on the Real IRA and killed some of them over territories and drug trafficking.
Does the actual IRA condone the real IRA, or allow them to operate? Or are they just trying to use the name IRA to make themselves sound better?
A quick potted history -
The IRA emerged from the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Citizens Army. They fought the British to the table and the Provisional Government signed the treaty, 1921.
Then followed the Civil War, when the IRA split, which most volunteers being anti-Treaty and staying in the IRA and the rest forming the (officially recognised) Irish army.
After the Civil War the anti-Treaty IRA stayed active in recruiting, maintaining an arsenal, etc, but wasn't very active - small campaigns and actions during the 40s.
They started the border campaign in the 50s, but had little success.
In the sixties they became Marxist and became a complete joke. This led to Catholic homes in the north being left unprotected from loyalist mobs and when the troubles started 1969 they refused to fight back. Due to this old volunteers from the 40 seized what weapons they had to defend the areas. This (eventually) led to a split in the movement - Official IRA (the Sticks) who did nothing and the new Provisional IRA (the Provos) made of traditional Republicans. It was they who fought the war.
This group also split in the 1980 after Sinn Fein changed their constitution. Republican Sunn Fein was formed by Ruari O'Bradaigh (who died this year), with their own military wing - the Continuity IRA (the Contos).
The Provos split again in 1998, over the Good Friday Agreement, to give us the Real IRA (the Cokes - from the Coca Cola advert 'The Real Thing', seriously!).
All these groups have now all split again and again to form various combinations of - the Real IRA, the Continuity IRA, the New IRA, Oglaigh na hEireann, ONH, Republican Action Against Drugs, Direct Action Against Drugs and at least one 'Independent Republican Unit'. There are probably more.
Just this week people were arrested in Glasgow (all Scottish born) for non-specific Republican activity, something I have never heard of before. They aren't members of any group but are anti-GFA Republicans who were apparently meant to be attempting to kill Loyalists in Scotland. It's very strange.
These groups are all riddled by informers and I'd say at least the Real IRA, but probably more, is run from top to bottom by British security services.
In terms of legitimacy that goes to the Contos - they have the direct lineage to the first IRA - but it's a moot point. Physical force Republicanism is and should be finished for now.
I've skipped a lot and over simplified a lot, but that's generally how they ended up where they are today.
