Provisional Irish Republican Army arms importation in forms of both firearms and explosives began in the early 1970s during the Troubles. With these weapons it conducted an armed campaign against the British state in Northern Ireland. [1][2][3]

Beginning in the 1970s, the Provisional IRA began importing modern weapons from the United States, Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and arms dealers in mainland Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere.

Jan 15, 1985 · Guns, ammunition, explosives, and money, aimed at keeping snipers and bomb-throwers as active as possible in Northern Ireland, have been regularly smuggled out of the United States during the past...

The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reunification and bring about an independent republic ...

The two main sources of weaponry for the IRA have been the USA and Libya. The main gun-running network in the USA was controlled by a veteran Irish Republican called George Harrison.

IRA members smuggled small arms from America by sea on the Queen Elizabeth II from New York via Southampton through Irish members of her crew, until the network was cracked down on by the FBI in the 1980s.

In 1984, the FBI warned Ireland that a major IRA arms shipment was underway from the US, and that the weaponry would be transferred to an Irish fishing trawler in the Atlantic.

Jan 13, 1985 · Since 1969, when the latest round of violence between Catholics and Protestants flared in Northern Ireland, officials say 2,264 American-made weapons have been captured. The guns have been linked...

Beginning in the 1970s, the Provisional IRA began importing modern weapons from the United States, Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and arms dealers in mainland Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere.

Dec 5, 2024 · The answer to how the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) obtained Barrett M82 rifles is complex and lacks definitive, publicly available official confirmation. While accusations and claims abound, concrete evidence that directly links the IRA to the acquisition of these rifles remains elusive.