Dissident republican

A dissident republican or anti-ceasefire republican is an Irish republican who does not support the current peace agreements in Ireland. They see both parliaments on the island (the Northern Ireland Assembly and Dáil Éireann) and both police forces (the PSNI and the Garda Síochána) as illegitimate. Some, such as Republican Sinn Féin (not to be confused with Sinn Féin) and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, support political violence against the British security forces. Thus they are against the ceasefire called by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1997, at the end of The Troubles. However, other groups such as éirígí and the Republican Network for Unity wish to achieve their goals only through peaceful and democratic means.

Since the Provisional IRA called a ceasefire, splinter groups have continued its armed campaign against the security forces in Northern Ireland. Like the Provisional IRA, each of these groups sees itself as the only rightful continuation of the original IRA and each calls itself simply "the IRA", or Óglaigh na hÉireann in Irish.

The documentary "Unfinished Business: The Politics of 'Dissident' Irish Republicans" offers insight into their origin and politics.

Groups described in the media as dissident republican

Paramilitaries

• Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA)
• Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA)
• Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group)
• Óglaigh na hÉireann (Continuity IRA splinter group) – active 2006–2009
• Saoirse na hÉireann – it is disputed whether this group exists

Political groups

• 32 County Sovereignty Movement
• Éirígí
• Republican Network for Unity
• Republican Sinn Féin

See also

• Irish republican legitimatism