Irish Republican Army

American  

noun

1. an underground Irish nationalist organization founded to work for Irish independence from Great Britain: declared illegal by the Irish government in 1936, but continues activity aimed at the unification of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. IRA, I.R.A.

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Irish Republican Army British  

noun

1.  IRA.  a militant organization of Irish nationalists founded with the aim of striving for a united independent Ireland by means of guerrilla warfare

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Irish Republican Army Cultural  

1. A secret organization in Ireland that originally fought for Irish independence from Britain. After the division of Ireland in the early twentieth century into Northern Ireland, which remained united with Britain, and the Irish Free State, now called the Republic of Ireland, the IRA took as its goal the uniting of the entire island under the Republic. The IRA continues to pursue this goal; membership, however, is illegal in the Republic, and the IRA's Provisional Wing has practiced terrorism. (See Sinn Fein.)

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Example Sentences

Dolours, a former Provisional Irish Republican Army militant, is visibly nervous.

From Salon • Nov. 14, 2024

The gates were erected in 1989 in response to threats from Irish Republican Army militants.

From Washington Times • May 25, 2023

The accord allowed for more than 400 prisoners to be released, mostly from the Irish Republican Army, but also from unionist paramilitaries.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2023

The Irish Republican Army called a cease-fire in 1994, allowing its allied party, Sinn Fein, to join other nationalist and unionist parties in peace talks co-sponsored by the British and Irish governments.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2023

This force was designated as the "Right Wing of the Irish Republican Army," and was commanded by Gen. Spier, with Gen. Mahon, of Boston, as his Chief of Staff.

From Troublous Times in Canada A History of the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1870 by MacDonald, John A. (John Alexander)