Did the CIA give the IRA weapons?

The CIA did not directly give the IRA weapons, but it allowed and facilitated the flow of arms to the organization through various channels, including Irish-American networks, in order to prevent the IRA from turning to Soviet sources of weaponry. The CIA‘s alleged involvement in the IRA‘s armament was part of a broader Cold War strategy to counter Communist influence in Ireland and maintain Western dominance in the region.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the CIA and IRA

1. What was the CIA’s role in the IRA’s armament?: The CIA allowed and facilitated the flow of arms to the IRA through various channels, including Irish-American networks, in order to prevent the IRA from turning to Soviet sources of weaponry.
2. Who supplied the IRA with weapons?: The two main sources of weaponry for the IRA were the USA and Libya, with the main gun-running network in the USA controlled by a veteran Irish Republican called George Harrison.
3. How did the IRA get the Barrett M82?: The IRA managed to smuggle an M82 to the Republic of Ireland just before the arrest of Martin Quigley, a Dundalk IRA member, in 1989.
4. Who was funding the IRA?: The financial backbone of the Provisional cause in America was the Irish Northern Aid Committee (NORAID), which estimated to have raised $3.6 million between 1970 and 1991.
5. Was the CIA involved in Northern Ireland?: The CIA, with a licence to export weapons, had aided the IRA‘s operation in order to monitor the flow of arms to Ireland and prevent the IRA from turning to the Soviet Union for arms.

About the IRA’s Armament and Activities

6. What kinds of weapons did the IRA use?: The IRA may have had AK-47 / AKM assault rifles, Armalite AR-15 assault rifles, FN MAG medium machine guns, DShK heavy machine guns, SAM-7 anti-aircraft missiles, and RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
7. Did the IRA use flamethrowers?: Yes, the IRA used LPO-50 flame throwers, in addition to home-made mortars and fertiliser-based car and lorry bombs.
8. Do the IRA still exist?: Several splinter groups have been formed as a result of splits within the IRA, including the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA, both of which are still active in the dissident Irish republican campaign.
9. Is the IRA left or right?: The Provisional IRA (PIRA) developed a left-wing orientation, although it opposed the OIRA‘s Marxism.

About the IRA’s International Connections

10. Did Gaddafi fund the IRA?: Yes, Gaddafi provided the IRA with its first RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and gave three to five million US dollars to the organisation to finance its activities.
11. How did the IRA get American weapons?: The IRA smuggled small arms from the United States by sea on the Queen Elizabeth 2 from New York via Southampton, through Irish members of her crew.
12. Who was IRA sniper?: McGinn, an infamous IRA sniper, shot dead Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick in Bessbrook in February 1997.

About the IRA’s Legacy and Impact

13. Did the IRA ever shoot down a helicopter?: Yes, an Army Air Corps Gazelle was shot down over a border area between Augher and Derrygorry, County Tyrone, by an IRA active service unit from the East Tyrone Brigade in 1990.
14. When did the IRA give up its weapons?: The Provisional IRA decommissioned its arms in July-September 2005, including an estimated 1,000 rifles and 2 tonnes of Semtex.
15. Was the IRA illegal?: Yes, the IRA was an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland and designated as a proscribed terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom and the United States.