The Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Morality of Terrorism

by Timothy Shanahan

Is terrorism ever morally justified? How should historical and cultural factors be taken into account in judging the morality of terrorist acts? What are the ethical limits of state counter-terrorism?For three decades the Provisional Irish Republican Army waged an 'armed struggle' against what it considered to be the British occupation of Northern Ireland. To its supporters, the IRA was the legitimate army of Ireland, fighting to force a British withdrawal as a prelude to the re-unification of the Irish nation. To its enemies, the IRA was an illegal, fanatical, terrorist organization whose members were criminals willing to sacrifice innocent lives in pursuit of its ideological obsession. At the centre of the conflict were the then unconventional tactics employed by the IRA, including sectarian killings, political assassinations, and bombings that devastated urban centres - tactics that have become increasingly commonplace in the post-9/11 world.This book is the first detailed philosophical examination of the morality of the IRA's violent campaign, and of the British government's attempts to end it. Written in clear, accessible prose, it is essential reading for anyone wishing to acquire a deeper understanding of one of the paradigmatic conflicts of the late 20th century.

Genres: Ireland

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Penny]

Logging this because it has taken up all my time when I would have preferred to read fiction. Good analysis which helped with my assignment though, thanks.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hhhhhhhhhm, I did not enjoy reading this one at all. I kind of get where the author is coming from but there were so many points that I just did not agree with him on that I ended up skim reading the rest of the book.

The first point that really annoyed me was the whole “The IRA wasn’t really needed part” because he then goes on to list a number of reasons why they were needed. I understand that looking back on that time from today gives you the impression that this group took over a civil rights movement that had already gained everything it wanted to gain for its own ends, but is that really a call you can make?

The second point that really annoyed me was the whole chapter dedicated to “Whose land is it anyway?” where he decides that the Irish Catholics didn’t have much of a claim to the land because they came from a previous group of invaders and the Protestants just came from another group so no one has a claim to it so they should all just get along.

After that it just got to me more and more, so I ended up not even wanting to carry on and having to push through just to get to the end. Which at least I managed to I can tick this one off the list.

[Conor Doonan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irish Republican Metaphysics is my new favorite term. Up the Ra, mayhaps?