Irish National Liberation Army

Our support is in theory
The Starry Plough web site supports the INLA in theory. The working class have a right to an armed organisation in order to defend the working class from the police and army, both working at the orders of the ruling classes. It is obvious to us that the state police and army only have the interests of the government and elite at heart as they are controlled by both and are there to protect the ruling classes and their private property from the working classes. Therefore the working class have a right to defence from both organisations and, in theory, the a Liberation Army can fill that gap.

Q. Who and what is the Irish National Liberation Army?

A. The Irish National Liberation Army were founded in December 1974 during a meeting in the Spa Hotel, County Dublin.

They were formed to fight for the goals of a thirty two county Irish Workers' Republic. The founding leader of the INLA was Seamus Costello. He had been active in various IRA campaigns before leaving to set up both the IRSP and INLA. He saw that the Official IRA ceasefire of the time was leading to reformism within the movement. After arguing his point of view within that organisation for some time he failed to convince the leadership of the folly of their direction. He was then expelled. The INLA, the army of Ireland's working class, was then formed to fight for National Liberation and Socialism. The INLA have been on ceasefire since September 1998 but have stayed active in defence of working class communities, particularly in Belfast interface areas where loyalist gangsters are repeatedly launching various pogroms against innocent communities.

Brief Chronology of Irish National Liberation Army history

1974 Dec: Irish National Liberation Army formed in Dublin
1975 Various attacks launched on Irish National Liberation Army and IRSP members by OIRA. PLA formed to defend IRSP members from attack
1976 Special Category status revoked; Peace People founded; POW Ciarán Nugent (IRA) and Connolly Brady (INLA) begin "Blanket Protest"
1977 Seamus Costello assassinated by OIRA
1979 National H-Block/Armagh Committee founded. Airey Neave assassinated by Irish National Liberation Army in car bomb attack in British Parliament.
1980 Hunger strike in the H-Blocks and Armagh Prison
1981 Hunger strike resumed after Britain failed to institute the agreed-upon five demands resulting in the death of three Irish National Liberation Army and seven IRA prisoners of war
1982 Northern Ireland Assembly elections. Irish National Liberation Army bomb Ballykelly disco killing 11 British occupation forces.
1983 Nicky Kelly hunger strike protesting against wrongful conviction for Sallins train robbery
1984 Dominic McGlinchey (INLA leader) becomes first person extradited from the 26 counties to the six counties; IRSP declares itself Marxist.
1986 Sinn Fein drops abstensionism, Republican Sinn Fein founded; Congress '86 founded by ex-IRA prisoners
1987 IPLO founded, attacks IRSP & INLA members. Ta Power and John O'Reilly amongst volunteers killed by counter revolutionary IPLO.
1992 IPLO disbands after internal feud and attacks by IRA for drug dealing
1994 PIRA ceasefire declared.
1995 INLA weapons shipment uncovered on main Dublin to Belfast road. Three arrested. One, Hugh Torney, declares Irish National Liberation Army ceasefire from dock against army rules.
1996 Gino Gallagher, Irish National Liberation Army leader, killed by drug dealers acting for Hugh Torney. INLA retaliate killing Torney and his gang members.
1997 Irish National Liberation Army inmates kill leading loyalist, Billy Wright, in Long Kesh prison during daring daylight attack.
1998 Irish National Liberation Army declares ceasefire in September
Present: Irish National Liberation Army are currently active in defence of vulnerable nationalist communities in so called interface areas of Belfast.

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