Was the Ira really that popular in the 70s,80s or 90s

sfwcork · 06-01-2013 10:52PM #1

I always wondered this.My neighbour who was orignally from the north told me before he was a member.I never knew to believe him or not.

Was it really that popular or was some of it hearsay or people wanting to be gangsta

kfallon · 06-01-2013 10:52PM

Bigger than the Beatles!

Mint Sauce · 06-01-2013 10:54PM

Kylo Ren · 06-01-2013 10:54PM

Aww man they were all the rage. You couldn't go out without seeing them plastered over kids tops, shoes, lunchboxes etc.

Then the lead singer left and everyone lost interest.

Praetorian Saighdiuir · 06-01-2013 10:55PM

Yup, im sure you neighbour was in the IRA :rolleyes:

"Was itbreally that popular or was some of it hearsay or peope wanting to be gangsta "

Feckin hell.........../burns laptop!

Culleeo · 06-01-2013 10:57PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBT4ZWy6Lm4

kilograms · 06-01-2013 11:00PM

The 70s and 80s especially, they got huge support because the catholics of NI were been treated very badly.

harry Bailey esq · 06-01-2013 11:01PM

yes they were.ever been to crossmaglen?

orestes · 06-01-2013 11:02PM

I'm from Tallaght, you occasionally see guys in the pub trying to look hard by saying they are in the 'ra, while little old men just sit sipping their pints and watching them quietly. Eventually one of the little old men goes over and says a quiet word in his ear and the hard man goes white and shuts the fukk up.

steddyeddy · 06-01-2013 11:02PM

Well in you include the early border wars of the Ira in the north, then no they wern't popular. The IRA originally had little support in the north. After the destruction of the civil rights movement, sectarian policies and particualrly bloody sunday the IRA gained huge popularity. The British government were ultimatly responsible for fueling that.

gallag · 06-01-2013 11:10PM

Only popular with people that seen no problem with killing women and children to get "the brits out" they actually set the Republican movement back decades, look how easy Scotland got to vote for independence and not a single dead child. All paramilitaries committed crimes against humanity and should be despised equally.

jonbravo · 06-01-2013 11:10PM

This country has a very large ira fractions look up the four members that where printing money underground and Notting has being done in 2011-2012. And address the question again!

squod · 06-01-2013 11:12PM

As popular as the British Army UDA

yupya1 · 06-01-2013 11:14PM

Mainly people were just into the clothes and hairstyles

kilograms · 06-01-2013 11:14PM

gallag wrote: »

Only popular with people that seen no problem with killing women and children to get "the brits out" they actually set the Republican movement back decades, look how easy Scotland got to vote for independence and not a single dead child. All paramilitaries committed crimes against humanity and should be despised equally.

I think Scotland is very different situation than Northern Ireland. nobody agrees with killing kids and innocent people but both sides done it.

AnonoBoy · 06-01-2013 11:16PM

I'm still a fan of Ira. He penned some classics with his brother didn't he?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIpNepgmCQA

Father Damo · 06-01-2013 11:17PM

sfwcork wrote: »

I always wondered this.My neighbour who was orignally from the north told me before he was a member.I never knew to believe him or not.

The easiest way to tell that someone is not in the IRA is if he goes out of his way to tell you he IS in the IRA in a casual conversation. The Army Council really would not be too enamoured with recruiting lads who would be liable to spilling the inner workings of the organisation to randomers after a few pints.

flutered · 06-01-2013 11:17PM

the guys who were in the ira never ever admitted to any one if they were or were not.

barney 20v · 06-01-2013 11:18PM

kilograms wrote: »

I think Scotland is very different situation than Northern Ireland. nobody agrees with killing kids and innocent people but both sides done it.

Ah sure then!

gallag · 06-01-2013 11:18PM

kilograms wrote: »

I think Scotland is very different situation than Northern Ireland. nobody agrees with killing kids and innocent people but both sides done it.

Yep, both sides as I said. Heros did not plant bombs in shopping malls, throw grenades into pubs or shoot civil rights protesters.

ejmaztec · 06-01-2013 11:20PM

There was a lot of victimisation of Irish people in the UK as a result of what was done by the IRA. A couple of my relatives had to leave their jobs because they couldn't take any more of the verbal abuse dished out by some of the "Sun reader" types that they were working with.

padd b1975 · 06-01-2013 11:22PM

I know of a guy who was drinking in a pub in the early 90s, a guy came in selling An Poblacht and big mouth says something smart to him about the IRA.

A few days later an envelope was pushed under his door. Inside was pictures of his kids going to school and where he and his wife worked.

There was also a demand for £5,000 and instructions on how to pay.

He paid the money.

kilograms · 06-01-2013 11:25PM

gallag wrote: »

Yep, both sides as I said. Heros did not plant bombs in shopping malls, throw grenades into pubs or shoot civil rights protesters.

forgot how much savagery went on up North. There were no proud moments

Where To · 06-01-2013 11:25PM

padd b1975 wrote: »

I know of a guy who was drinking in a pub in the early 90s, a guy came in selling An Poblacht and big mouth says something smart to him about the IRA.

A few days later an envelope was pushed under his door. Inside was pictures of his kids going to school and where he and his wife worked.

There was also a demand for £5,000 and instructions on how to pay.

He paid the money.

You know of a guy?

I'm far from the RA's biggest fan but that sounds like bollocks to me.

kilograms · 06-01-2013 11:27PM

ejmaztec wrote: »

There was a lot of victimisation of Irish people in the UK as a result of what was done by the IRA. A couple of my relatives had to leave their jobs because they couldn't take any more of the verbal abuse dished out by some of the "Sun reader" types that they were working with.

Although victimization did occur, it wasn't as widespread as people think

Dont call me Shirley · 06-01-2013 11:30PM

I think IRA support varied a lot geographically. There were (and still are) certain hotspots of support.

I have mixed feeling towards the cause tbh. I believe that, at times, violent struggle against oppression can be justified. On the other hand, violence based on national or religious identities is just tarted up thuggery.

kilograms · 06-01-2013 11:31PM

Where To wrote: »

You know of a guy?

I'm far from the RA's biggest fan but that sounds like bollocks to me.

A friend of mine lfrom Dundalk told me that when the IRA use to fundraise in the pubs in the 80s they would basically bully people into to giving donations. he told me his da put 2 pound in a bucket and the fella said 'is that all this cause is worth to you'.

Dyr · 06-01-2013 11:31PM

kilograms wrote: »

Although victimization did occur, it wasn't as widespread as people think

Indeed, the unionist population weren't victimised at all for a start.

ejmaztec · 06-01-2013 11:32PM

kilograms wrote: »

Although victimization did occur, it wasn't as widespread as people think

It was widespread enough for the people that I knew.

FlawedGenius · 06-01-2013 11:32PM

ahh the days when writing ira on desks and walls in estates was the fashion

candy-gal1 · 06-01-2013 11:33PM

OP, your watching The Iron Lady on TV now arent you?

:pac:

Was the Ira really that popular in the 70s,80s or 90s

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