Continuity IRA say they murdered police officer

Like so many others, having lived through more than 20-years of IRA bombings, these recent events are a sad turn of events. They have so little support within the Irish community.  When someone wants to do damage its difficult to prevent 100% of the time.

Great piece, Mudricky.  And the pic is dramatic!

The Continuity IRA - so arrogant of them to think they are doing what people want.  But I guess this is the way conflicts usually end - tailing off over a long pereiod of time.

Here is an update:

Police in Northern Ireland have arrested an 18-year-old man in the case of a police officer killed by IRA dissidents.

Police said detectives investigating the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll made the arrest on Tuesday.

The Continuity IRA has claimed responsibility for killing the 48-year-old officer as he sat in his patrol car Monday night in the town of Craigavon. Just 48 hours earlier two British soldiers had been shot dead in an attack claimed by another IRA splinter group.

Thanks for this update.

I am not sure whats going on here, this looks like a shoot off group of the IRA with an aim of increasing security on the streets by calling out the armed forces.  The retort of  Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde confirms my line of thought.

But I fear there is something else and its possibly to do with the following factor concerning the agreement.

No change to the status of Northern Ireland without the express consent of the people

The only way to sway the Catholic opinion would be to have a military presence on the streets. I am tending to take a view that the republicans have lost a good amount of support in their ultimate aim of a united Ireland. Some hard headed republican see a need to false the requirement for resentment by achieving what the catholic population hate to see armed soldiers on the streets.

It would seem since the peace has been maintained that most of the Catholics are happy with the status quo. Especially at a time of deep a recession where as the British offer more social aid than one can find in Southern Ireland. 

We can see that the political wing of the IRA have promised that they will achieve more than a political presence but the altimate aim of a United Ireland. But that aim is being seen as impossible by the hard heads. However I can not see the old guard IRA going into a full scale urban war and joining the hard heads. But we will have to wait until July to see if the indicators of civil unrest is stirred by the IRA of which looks unlikely to me. I feel the Orange day parades will not end up in bloodshed this year.

The age of the suspect also give indication that the old guard IRA are not involved as they have not being recruiting, this is a very small group that have recruited and indoctrinated a young group of teenage crooks, To do their dirty work in the hope of gaining support from the Old guard IRA. If they went back to a war footing bombing would be the IRA footprint as thats more effective way to cause their sort of mayhem.

Opposing politicians will of course give the opinion that the IRA are back to their old tricks, hopefully these latest events do not breakdown the present aggreement. As this would not only be a sad day for Britian but a sad day for the inocent in the normal trouble torn areas of Northern Ireland.     

i am bemused at the mention of a split group name being given to the old guard IRA who are the IRA and not the Real IRA (RIRA) a group that made its name heard in the late 90's as they where not happy at the conditions of the cease fire and peace aggreement.

The original story should of Stated IRA and the Continuity IRA (CIRA) of whitch the RIRA are a small part of the title was given because they considered themself's being the only ones really fighting for a totally independant united Ireland. This was at the time the peace plan was being imposed and they continued terrorist action untill persuaded not to by the main IRA of which is of course the much more larger group. I think the many knee cappings helped!

Perhaps the Real was meant as saying the original IRA (real)? confused me to bits. lol  

Very discouraging. Good report. Thank you.