Firearms of Irish Republicans?
Anyone up on what firearms were used by Irish Republicans (not Ulster Loyalists), such as supposedly the 1904 Mannlicher was secretly sold to Irish Republicans as well as being sold to the Ulster Loyalists, can anyone verify this, what about other firearms that were distinctly used?
I would imagine that they used whatever they could capture as well from the brits and from Ulster Loyalists.
Thanks.
I would imagine that they used whatever they could capture as well from the brits and from Ulster Loyalists.
Thanks.
0
-
Beside the 11,000 Model 1904 rifles sold to the Ulster Volunteer Forces that were sold through A.L Frank in Hamburg there were also approximately 9,000 Model 88 rifles obtained through the same source. Many of both types were seized by the British long before they reached Ireland. Many existing specimens were marked with the Red Hand of Ulster (often called the Red Hand of O'Neill)and were used by the British Home Guard. 0 -
I've heard the M-1 Carbine was/is a favorite. 0 -
"The echo of the Thompson gun". 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWw2woUQ3uE&feature=related0 -
A lot of Mausers from many sources made their way into the IRA inventory. However, the Irish were very expedient about getting any and everything they could get their hands on. Post WWII had a plethora of stuff available. Most of it in 9mm. There were also a lot of captured Lee-Enfields over the years that made their way to arms dealers and eventually to Ireland. there wasn't much in regulation or legality covering arms dealers in the '50's and '60's.
That said, the same arms dealers, or different, would turn around and sell the next lot to the Ulster loyalists.
Where there is a fire someone will come along to feed it.0 -
In what historical time period?
I'd imagine that (like just about every paramilitary unit everywhere), they'd use whatever was expedient.
In the '70s the AR-18 was popular, and eventually that gun became associated with the IRA, which advocated an "Armalite and Ballot box" strategy. In the '80s it was the AK rifle.
You can read a bit about PIRA arms here:
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Provisional_Irish_Republican_Army_arms_importation
I don't know to what extent (if any) other related/splinter Republican paramilitaries used other weapons.0 -
The IRA (not the latter-day PIRA) brought open street fighting to a head in the early '20's. The fight was for the liberation of all the counties, Ulstermen included. All counties were, at the outset, free from British domination (for a short time..then the six north in Ulster reverted back to British rule).
Now, the uprising, Easter bloodbath, Black Sunday, were all pre National Firearms Act. Coupled with IRA fundraisers soliciting openly in the churches, meetings and bars of Boston, and New York, one can only surmise that many a ships' holds contained efficient firepower. The 'Thompson Gun' is a prime example of the type of weaponry smuggled in during the time. Best, Joe0 -
IRA took what they could get. Living under the repression they had very limited access. What little they could get was mostly a individual case basis... 0 -
As mentioned, a lot of it was whatever they could get. A large amout of IRA and PIRA weaponry was smuggled in from Libya. AK-47s were common, as were L1A1 SLRs (aka 7.62 FN FAL). The latter was often nicked from military sources.
In the '90s several members of my old regiment were killed
by snipers using both 7.62 and .50 BMG. The SAS arrested a sniper team in possession of an M90. M82s have also been seized.0 -
Are there any known specifically marked Irish Republican (non-ulster) weapons? 0 -
None that I know of are specifically marked for the IRA. There are no doubt entire lots (groups) of rifles specifically built/reworked/converted for them but none marked as so. The original 1500 "Howth" Mausers (from whence they entered Ireland) were still marked as German made G71's. 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
10 comments