The Real IRA finally to see sense and give up violence

The Omagh bombing 1998 perpetrated by the Real IRA

The real IRA, (who were responsible for the Omagh bombing) are expected to say this week that that it is to renounce violence. Apparently it has agreed on a peaceful strategy with the Irish National Liberation Army and the Continuity IRA as a result from finally realising the mass of opposition to terrorism.

One dissident republican source said ‘While the violence goes on the Provos can paint those opposed to their strategy as mad bombers and killers. There must be an alternative republican strategy to Sinn Fein and the sell-out at Stormont, but it must be political and peaceful.'

Dissident organisations have been under severe pressure ever since the Omagh bomb nine years ago. Twenty-nine people and two unborn babies died when a Real IRA bomb ripped apart the centre of the Co Tyrone market town in August 1998. To date no one has yet been jailed in relation to the massacre. The Real IRA stood condemned across the world for what was the single biggest atrocity of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Its leader Michael McKevitt, the Provisional IRA's former 'quarter master general' was later arrested and jailed for directing terrorism.

A recent meeting in Derry brought together ex-prisoners and republicans opposed to Sinn Fein sitting in what they see as a 'partitionist' government at Stormont. Ex-IRA prisoner Danny McBrearty organised the conference that was attended by 200 delegates. He confirmed that the gathering formulated a way for an alternative republican strategy.

A republican veteran who attended said recent sporadic attacks in Newry and Belfast were only 'having a nuisance value. 'It's clear from our own people that the appetite for a war has long gone. An INLA source also confirmed this weekend that the three terror groups were united in acknowledging that there was no support for armed struggle. 'It's time we listened to the people and gave them a real political alternative,' the source said.

It’s time we listened to the people.... Well duh! The Real IRA is another of those dinosaur organisations running around not realising it died a while before! It is a marginal group that stood even less chance of success through terrorism than the Provisional IRA (and that was no chance itself). The organisation (presumably in the form of the 32 county sovereignty movement) will be pipsqueak organisation at the fringes of Northern Ireland politics but better that than violence.