The IRA on Film and Television
A History
by Mark Connelly
IRA Chronology
1858
Irish Republican Brotherhood founded in Dublin;
Fenians founded in New York City
1866-71
Fenian invasions of Canada with some units designated
Irish Republican Army
1905
Sinn Fein founded
1913
Irish Volunteers founded
1916
Easter Rising
1919
War of Independence begins
Irish Republican Army formed, led by Michael Collins
1920
Bloody Sunday
1921
Anglo-Irish Treaty ends war, establishes partition of
Irish Free State and British Northern Ireland
1922
Irish Civil War begins
Michael Collins killed in IRA ambush
1923
Irish Civil War ends
1936
Irish Republican Army banned in Irish Free State
1937
New Irish Constitution changes Free State to Erie, lays
claims to Northern Ireland
1939
IRA begins bombing campaign in Britain
1940
Sean Russell dies aboard German U-Boat
1949
Erie officially becomes the Republic of Ireland
1956-1962
IRA Border Campaign in Northern Ireland
1969
Protestant and Catholic conflicts erupt in Northern Ireland,
renewing “the Troubles”
British troops arrive in Northern Ireland
IRA splits into Official and Provisional organizations
1971
First British soldier killed in Northern Ireland
Internment begins
1972
Bloody Sunday, fourteen demonstrators killed by British troops
Official IRA declares permanent ceasefire
Northern Ireland parliament suspended, beginning of direct
rule
IRA detonates 22 car bombs in Belfast in a single hour
1974
IRA bombings in Birmingham and Guildford
Prevention of Terrorism Act in Britain
1975
Convictions of Birmingham Six and Guildford Four
1981
Irish Republican Brotherhood founded in Dublin;
Fenians founded in New York City
1989
Bobby Sands and nine others die on hunger strike
1991
Birmingham Six released on third appeal
1998
Good Friday Agreement
Real IRA bomb kills 29 in Omagh
2005
Provisional IRA formally ends armed campaign
2011
Irish Catholic police officer killed by dissident Republicans in
Omagh
The IRA on Film and Television