An IRA sniper warning sign on April 20, 2019, overlooking the Bogside area of Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Two teenagers have been arrested over the killing of journalist Lyra McKee shot dead in Derry, Northern Ireland, police said on April 20, after a murder that has triggered international condemnation.
"Is the IRA back?" is a question I've been asked several times in recent months. And it is not really surprising, given recent headlines such as "'IRA' claims responsibility for Londonderry car bomb," "New IRA claims 5 parcel bombs sent to London and Glasgow," and "Northern Ireland journalist killed by gunman during riot." Certainly, the New Irish Republican Army (NIRA), a group that often refers to itself as simply the Irish Republican Army, has been fairly active, reminding us all that while Republican violence along the Irish border has decreased significantly since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, it never really ended. However, as we examine the attacks that have generated these headlines, we can see that the New IRA is not nearly as deadly and capable as its Republican predecessors the Provisional IRA (PIRA) and the Real IRA (RIRA) were. Car Bomb or Bomb in a Car?
