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Facts
The IRA Army Council is the decision making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA, a paramilitary group dedicated to the removal of the British presence in Ireland. The current IRA leadership has, on several occasions, issued statements stating its commitment to the peace process underway in Northen Ireland (as of January 2005).
It should be noted that in Ireland and the U.K., membership of the PIRA is a criminal offence as it is a "proscribed organisation" under the terms of the Offences Against the State Acts in the Republic of Ireland and under equivalent anti-terrorist legislation in Britain. In the Republic of Ireland conviction is possible in the Special Criminal Court, (3-judges, no jury) on the evidence of a Garda Superintendent or higher rank, and carries a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment. However Senior members of Sinn Féin, some of whom are widely believed to sit on the Army Council, and IRA members not seen to be involved in illegal activities have been effectively safe from prosecution in recent years in order to maintain progress in the peace process. However following the recent Northern Bank robbery of £26million, this may be set to change.
Bearing that in mind, on 14th January 2005, Martin Ferris (Sinn Féin party, T.D. for North Kerry) was accused of being a member of the IRA army council in an article in the Irish Times written by journalist Kevin Myers. In the same article, he accuses those members of Sinn Fein who visited the British Government in Downing Street, in a visit in December 2004, of membership of the army council. Note that Gerry Adams was reported as having met with Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street in Decemeber, (Governments battling to save initiative, Irish Times, 14/12/04).
Rumours, conjectures and speculation about the IRA army council
The IRA is a secret organization. Consequentley, hard facts about the make-up of its upper echelons are hard to come by. The following may, therefore, be inaccurate.
As of 2001, the Provisional Irish Republican Army Army Council has been suggested to consist of:
IRA Army Council:
- Thomas "Slab" Murphy, Chief of Staff;
- Brian Keenan, Assistant Chief of Staff;
- Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Féin since 1983, MP for West Belfast, member of the IRA since 1965.
- Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin MP for Mid Ulster, MLA, head of Derry IRA & IRA Northern Command;
- Pat Doherty, Vice President of Sinn Féin, MLA;
- Martin Ferris, Sinn Féin T.D. for Kerry North, convicted IRA gun-runner;
- Brian Gillen
General Headquarters Staff:
Among whom are:
- Martin Lynch, Adj-General.
- Bernard Fox, Engineering.
- Patrick Thompson, Director of Finance.
- Bobby Storey, Director of Intelligence, jailed on arms charges.
As of 2004 the Army Council are said to have numbered Adams, Ferris, Gillen, Keenan, McGuinness, Murphy, and 'the man from Monaghan', Kevin McKenna.
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