Little Opposition to IRA Disbandment

Republicans on the ground in Northern Ireland have accepted that the decision has been taken to disband the IRA, with no great resistance from the ranks of either Sinn Féin or the IRA. By Anton McCabe

"It's reasonably far advanced," he said. "It's quite obvious it's going to happen. People have been conditioned for it to happen.

"It's been flagged up. These things don't be flagged up unless there's a fair chance – to put it mildly – of success. Adams wouldn't have said that if he hadn't at least a four to one chance of delivering.

"If you ask me when it's going to happen, it's more to do with bigger politics."

He said there was remarkably little opposition.

"There is some," he said. "I'm surprised how many people I thought would be opposed to it are now saying 'It's run its course.' Most people I regard as pretty hard-line think it's going to happen.

"We can't rule out there'd be some sort of opposition. But the opposition is tending to go home.

"They don't see any credible alternative. Most see that a new phase of political struggle is starting.

"It's not just about votes. It's about that (the IRA) being used as a stick to beat us with."

"The IRA is aboard, including supposedly hardline areas like East Tyrone and South Armagh."

He believed the process had become unstoppable.

"One thing that can stop it is big-time DUP messing about, and that still mightn't stop it," he said.

"The DUP are having kittens in case it does happen."

The only factor he saw as able to cut across the development was major violence during the summer marching season.

"The summer you can never control," he said.

He was unaware whether sections of the IRA were discussing keeping some form of structure.

"The reality in 1969 was the IRA didn't really exist," he said.

"It might have existed in name, but the reality was it didn't.

"The point I'm trying to make is you have to judge it against the climate at the time."

No internal discussions have yet started on the abandonment of Sinn Féin's policy of refusing to attend the Westminster parliament.

"I certainly don't see it," he said.

The chair of a Sinn Féin cumann in a rural part of Tyrone that is traditionally Republican said that was the mood in his cumann.

"Most realise the war is over and we don't need the army any more," he said.

"Most footsoldiers are more worried about handling the PSNI and policing – these issues are more of a stumbling block."

Former IRA member Tommy McKearney believes the process is now unstoppable.

"All the plethora of state agencies will be able to tell whether it's bogus," he said.

"What is the point of going through this to have Sinn Féin lambasted for bad faith?

"They can get away with the odd operation – they can't bluff the Garda, British and American intelligence that this organisation doesn't exist.

"Either it happens or it doesn't.

"At a certain stage Adams will take the risk he took at the 1986 Ard Fheis – he will leave a group behind him."