Dissident republican

Irish republicans opposed to the 1998 peace agreement that ended the Troubles

Dissident republicans (Irish: poblachtach easaontach)[1] are Irish republicans who do not support the Northern Ireland peace process. The peace agreements followed a 30-year conflict known as the Troubles, in which over 3,500 people were killed and 47,500 injured,[2] and in which republican paramilitary groups such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army waged a campaign to bring about a united Ireland. Negotiations in the 1990s led to a Provisional IRA ceasefire in 1994 and to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.[3][4] Mainstream republicans, represented by Sinn Féin, supported the Agreement as a means of achieving Irish unity peacefully.[5] Dissidents saw this as an abandonment of the goal of an independent Irish republic and acceptance of partition.[6] They hold that the Northern Ireland Assembly and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are illegitimate and see the PSNI as a British paramilitary police force.[7]

Some dissident republican political groups, such as Republican Sinn Féin and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, support political violence against the British security forces and oppose the Provisional IRA's 1994 ceasefire; other groups, such as the Irish Republican Socialist Party, wish to achieve their goals only through peaceful means.[8][9]

Since the IRA ceasefire, splinter groups have continued an armed campaign against the British security forces in Northern Ireland. Like the Provisional IRA, each of these groups sees itself as the only rightful successor of the original IRA and each calls itself simply "the IRA", or Óglaigh na hÉireann in Irish (see also Irish republican legitimism).

## Groups currently described as dissident republican

[edit]

### Paramilitary

[edit]

* Arm na Poblachta (ANP)[10][11]
* Continuity Irish Republican Army (Continuity IRA)[10][11]
* Cumann na mBan
* Fianna Éireann[12]
* Irish Republican Liberation Army (IRLA)[13]
* Irish Republican Movement (IRM)[14][15]
* New Irish Republican Army (New IRA)[10][11]
* Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group) (ONH)[16][17]

### Political

[edit]

* 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM)[18][19][20]
* Anti-Imperialist Action Ireland (AIA)
* Irish Republican Prisoners' Welfare Association (IRPWA)[21]
* Irish Republican Resistance (IRR)[22][23]
* Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP)[18][24]
* Lasair Dhearg[25][26]
* Republican Network for Unity (RNU)[27][28]
* Republican Sinn Féin (RSF)[29][30]
* Saoradh[31][32]

## Groups previously described as dissident republican

[edit]

### Paramilitary

[edit]

* Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)[30] (Armed campaign ended in 2009)[10][33][34]
* Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA)[30] (merged into the New IRA in 2012)[35]
* Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD)[30] (merged into the New IRA in 2012)[35]

### Political

[edit]

* Irish Republican Voice (IRV) (disbanded 2014)[36]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Dissident - Translation to Irish Gaelic with audio pronunciation of translations for dissident by New English-Irish Dictionary". New English-Irish Dictionary.
2. ^ Whitehead, Tom (24 November 2014). "Is Isil the greatest terror threat?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2024. "It is estimated some 3,530 people died during the Troubles on all sides and more than 47,500 were injured."
3. ^ "Good Friday Agreement timeline of key events". Belfast Telegraph. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
4. ^ Simpson, Mark (28 March 2023). "Good Friday Agreement: Gerry Adams praises David Trimble's peace bravery". BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
5. ^ "'Defending the Good Friday Agreement'". Sinn Féin. 23 September 1999. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
6. ^ Hoey, Paddy (7 January 2019). "Dissident and dissenting republicanism: From the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement to Brexit". Capital & Class. 43 (1). Conference of Socialist Economists: 73–87\. doi:10.1177/030981681881808. "This tradition of fractious factionalism became concentrated again in this period because the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement effectively solidified partition and delivered few of the key political aspirations of the Republican movement."
7. ^ Goulding, Stephen; McCroy, Amy (2021). "Representing the (un)finished revolution in Belfast's political murals". Critical Discourse Studies. 18 (5): 557. doi:10.1080/17405904.2020.1777176. "Dissident Republican is an umbrella terms for splinter groups who (1) rejected the constitutional compromise accepted by PIRA in the GFA in 1998; and, (2) view the PSNI as an illegitimate, imperial paramilitary group."
8. ^ McDonald, Henry (11 October 2009). "Irish National Liberation Army to disband and give up weapons". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
9. ^ Ross, F. Stuart (2012). "It Hasn't Gone Away You Know: Irish Republican Violence in the Post-Agreement Era". Nordic Irish Studies. 11 (2). Dalarna University Centre for Irish Studies: 65–66\. eISSN 2002-4517. JSTOR 41702636. OCLC 9980256269.
10. ^ a b c d "Dissident republicans in Northern Ireland - what do they want? An explainer". The Irish News. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
11. ^ a b c Reinisch, Dieter (24 August 2023). "Who are the dissident republican groups behind PSNI data threats?". RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
12. ^ Reinisch, Dieter (16 September 2020). "Teenagers and young adults in dissident Irish republicanism: a case study of Na Fianna Éireann in Dublin". Critical Studies on Terrorism. 13 (4). Routledge: 702–723\. doi:10.1080/17539153.2020.1820207. hdl:1814/68409. ISSN 1753-9161.
13. ^ "Dissident republican group has LVF links". The Irish News. 12 December 2007. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2025 – via Nuzhound.
14. ^ Morris, Allison (12 April 2018). "Breakaway dissident group issues 'execution' threat". The Irish News. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
15. ^ "Man arrested over violent dissident republican activity". Derry Daily. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
16. ^ "Dissident group Óglaigh na hÉireann 'show of strength' in Co Derry". Derry Journal. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
17. ^ Morris, Allison (18 September 2024). "Violence fears as dissidents split over 'Óglaigh na hÉireann' name". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
18. ^ a b "Dissident republicans form new 'forum for unity'". Irish Examiner. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
19. ^ "Dissident republican protest against west Belfast Edward Carson UVF mural". Belfast Telegraph. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
20. ^ Fitzmaurice, Maurice (25 February 2025). "An "appalling act of intimidation" - Dissidents slated over policing meeting protests". Belfast Live. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
21. ^ Madden, Andrew (22 March 2024). "Dissident group to protest outside Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly's constituency office". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
22. ^ Byrne, Pádraig (5 March 2024). "Dissident Republican group launch Wexford 'recruitment' campaign calling people to 'resist in any form necessary'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
23. ^ Mullan, Kevin (25 May 2021). "Heavy Derry focus in David Seymour's latest anti-terror law report - violent republican activity and PSNI counter-measures reviewed". Derry Journal. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
24. ^ Reinisch, Dieter (24 September 2021). "Will Brexit increase the threat from dissident republicans?". RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
25. ^ Bradfield, Philip (29 September 2022). "Dissident republican group Lasair Dhearg slammed for 'intimidating' letter sent to every Northern Ireland school about PSNI 'gunmen'". The News Letter. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
26. ^ "25 Years of The Good Friday Agreement". Lasair Dhearg. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
27. ^ Kula, Adam (24 February 2025). "Shooting victim sought help on foot say police - Republican Network for Unity says victim is one of its senior members". The News Letter. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
28. ^ Bonner, Kelly (17 February 2017). "Anti-illegal scrambler ads dropped after republican pressure". BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
29. ^ McDonald, Henry (8 March 2021). "Irish republican says violence is counter-productive". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2025. "Republican Sinn Féin and its military allies in the Continuity IRA (CIRA) are the oldest of the dissident republican organisations."
30. ^ a b c d "Who are the dissident republicans?". BBC News. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
31. ^ Kearney, Vincent (24 September 2016). "Dissident republicans launch new political party - Saoradh". BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
32. ^ O’Doherty, Caroline (22 April 2019). "Dissident republican group Saoradh undeterred by criticism of marches". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
33. ^ "INLA ends campaign of violence". RTÉ News. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
34. ^ "INLA says armed struggle over". The Irish Times. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
35. ^ a b McDonald, Henry (26 July 2012). "Republican dissidents join forces to form a new IRA". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
36. ^ Foy, Ken (6 February 2014). "Rows tear Republican group apart". The Herald. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2025.

* v
* t
* e

Real Irish Republican Army and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement

General|

* The Troubles
* Northern Ireland peace process
* Mitchell Principles
* Good Friday Agreement
* Dissident republican
* Dissident Irish republican campaign

Attacks|

* 1998 Banbridge bombing
* Omagh bombing
* 2000 MI6 attack
* 2001 BBC bombing
* 2001 Ealing bombing
* 2001 Birmingham bombing
* Massereene Barracks shooting
* 2010 Newry car bombing
* Killing of Lyra McKee

Personalities|

* Bernadette Sands McKevitt
* Michael McKevitt
* Liam Campbell
* Seamus Daly
* Colm Murphy
* Gareth O'Connor
* Andrew Burns
* Gary Donnelly
* Marian Price
* Colin Duffy

Associates|

* Republican Action Against Drugs

Derivatives|

* Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group)

* v
* t
* e

Continuity IRA and Republican Sinn Féin

General|

* The Troubles
* 1986 Sinn Féin Ardfheis
* Abstentionism
* Irish republican legitimatism
* Éire Nua
* Saoirse Irish Freedom
* Dissident republican
* Dissident Irish republican campaign
* CIRA actions

Personalities|

* Ruairí Ó Brádaigh
* Dáithí Ó Conaill
* Éamonn O'Doherty
* Billy McKee
* Seán Ó Brádaigh
* George Harrison
* Dan Keating
* Joe Stynes
* Seán Cunningham
* Seán Keenan
* Seosamh Ó Mhaoileoin
* Des Dalton
* Josephine Hayden
* Martin Corey

Associates|

* Cumann na mBan
* Fianna Éireann
* Republican Clan na Gael
* National Irish Freedom Committee
* Cabhair
* National Commemoration Committee

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template