The IRA 1956-69

While there have been many books written about the Irish Republican Army (IRA) since 1916, comparatively little attention has been paid to the organisation during the 1960s, despite the fact that the internal divisions culminating in the 1969 split are often seen as key to the conflict which erupted that year. This book rederesses that vacuum and, through an exhaustive survey of internal and official sources, as well as interviews with key IRA members, provides an insight into radical Republican politics. The book looks at the root of the divisions that centred on conflicting attitudes within the IRA on armed struggle, electoral participation and socialism. It argues that while the IRA did not consciously plan the northern 'Troubles', the internal debate of the 1960s had implications for what happened in 1969. The book is also of interest as a study of the internal dynamics of a revolutionary movement that has resonance with similar movements in other countries.