The IRA

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I've spent the last 4 days in Sourh Armagh and met several people with first hand knowledge of the IRA and how it operated during the troubles. Seems to me that various the brigades waged a highly effective guerilla war against a well resourced modern army.

The tactics of some operations and the bravery of the volunteers involved is regarded highly by many military historains, and when you look at the country, and the security that was in place, it's not hard to see why.

I'm glad the war is over and have nothing but disgust for the dregs that killed Paul Quinn and those few that became thugs and worse afterwards. But when you look clearly at the IRA as a fighting force, it's hard not to have some respect.

Anders Behring Breivik made the IRA look like amateurs. "Bravery" my arse. Regarded highly! Name one respected historian?

Cowardly shithouses the lot of them.

David Starkey? ;-)

 

[Bilboblue]

It's good to know that if the USA decided to invade and occupy this country tomorrow that there are plenty of blues that wouldn't raise a finger to stop them.

dont get me started on the usa...it was those bastards that funded the ira for so many years....then came asking for help when the shit hit the fan

NORAID..... wankers.

Also, McDonalds were contributing to these fucking scumbags too iirc, until they were found out and ordered to stop.

 

[Gelsons Dad]

I've spent the last 4 days in Sourh Armagh and met several people with first hand knowledge of the IRA and how it operated during the troubles. Seems to me that various the brigades waged a highly effective guerilla war against a well resourced modern army.

The tactics of some operations and the bravery of the volunteers involved is regarded highly by many military historains, and when you look at the country, and the security that was in place, it's not hard to see why.

I'm glad the war is over and have nothing but disgust for the dregs that killed Paul Quinn and those few that became thugs and worse afterwards. But when you look clearly at the IRA as a fighting force, it's hard not to have some respect.

Anders Behring Breivik made the IRA look like amateurs. "Bravery" my arse. Regarded highly! Name one respected historian?

Cowardly shithouses the lot of them.

David Starkey? ;-)

One who regards the IRA's tactics,operations and bravery highly! I'm pretty sure Starkey doesn't.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Anders Behring Breivik made the IRA look like amateurs. "Bravery" my arse. Regarded highly! Name one respected historian?

Cowardly shithouses the lot of them.

David Starkey? ;-)

One who regards the IRA's tactics,operations and bravery highly! I'm pretty sure Starkey doesn't.

That was sort of my point.

 

[mammutly]

Perhaps you can go to Iraq or Afghanistan and come back with that respect for the dedication of Al Qaeda etc.
They were cowards. Not really freedom fighters. For all their pride in bearing arms they did it in the most cowardly and sneaky way.
Warrington. Omagh. Many places. A shame you see what you heard from Republican arseholes as true but the British version has to be some sort of propaganda.

And there are still some who hold the view that killing is a justified action. I feel for all those who suffered at the hands of the scum.

Actually, The Taliban are a very effective force in Afghanistan.

I'm trying not to make value driven judgements here.

The record of the Loyalist paramilitaries is objectively worse than that of PIRA in terms of deliberately targeting civilians.

The number of non combatants killed, tortured and beaten by the RUC ,backed by the British Army, is vastly under reported and absolutely shocking for a supposedly state sanctioned force.

Did The IRA committ atrocities? Yes they did. But in the context of a dirty war - on all sides, they were not the worst protagonists.

 

[Lost Pilot]

Funny how outsiders such as the OP always see the troubles as some glamorous courage time in Ireland when in truth THEY WEREN'T! Ps dont get sucked in by these phony propaganda tours no matter what side of the fence your on!!

 

[lust overlord]

Anyone who sets out to blow up women and kids is not brave,whatever they are"fighting"for.

 

[mammutly]

Funny how outsiders such as the OP always see the troubles as some glamorous courage time in Ireland when in truth THEY WEREN'T! Ps dont get sucked in by these phony propaganda tours no matter what side of the fence your on!!

I have friends and family in the North of Ireland and have visited many times over the years. I don't glamourise the troubles at all because I've seen first hand some of the misery that was caused.

 

[TCIB]

Perhaps you can go to Iraq or Afghanistan and come back with that respect for the dedication of Al Qaeda etc.
They were cowards. Not really freedom fighters. For all their pride in bearing arms they did it in the most cowardly and sneaky way.
Warrington. Omagh. Many places. A shame you see what you heard from Republican arseholes as true but the British version has to be some sort of propaganda.

And there are still some who hold the view that killing is a justified action. I feel for all those who suffered at the hands of the scum.

Actually, The Taliban are a very effective force in Afghanistan.

I'm trying not to make value driven judgements here.

The record of the Loyalist paramilitaries is objectively worse than that of PIRA in terms of deliberately targeting civilians.

The number of non combatants killed, tortured and beaten by the RUC ,backed by the British Army, is vastly under reported and absolutely shocking for a supposedly state sanctioned force.

Did The IRA committ atrocities? Yes they did. But in the context of a dirty war - on all sides, they were not the worst protagonists.

Yes they were the main protagonists. Ill give you another example of what made them cunts.

One evening an sas patrol were watching a possible weapons cache on a farm. Orders were to shoot the player that rocks up to get them.

The IRA took a precaution and sent out the son of the farm owner, a mentally challenged 17 year old to retrieve the weapons. He was shot dead and when 14th int raided the house the ira sat their acting like nothing happened and laughed as they left.

 

[talkativesprout]

Funny how outsiders such as the OP always see the troubles as some glamorous courage time in Ireland when in truth THEY WEREN'T! Ps dont get sucked in by these phony propaganda tours no matter what side of the fence your on!!

I have friends and family in the North of Ireland and have visited many times over the years. I don't glamourise the troubles at all because I've seen first hand some of the misery that was caused.

From your OP

But when you look clearly at the IRA as a fighting force, it's hard not to have some respect.

I find it hard to believe that such naivety exists. To sneak around another country with open access borders in twos and threes, planting bombs in obscure public places, with million pound finances and armed by American dollar.

Its not really that hard is it. Whilst in their own backyard they could do shit. A respected "Army" would of challenged the invading force on its own soil. We use the french as a stick of cowardice during the war and they fought the hun on french ground