The Irish National Liberation Army: History of the Forgotten Troubles Conflict

The Irish National Liberation Army was one of the lesser-known armed organizations of the Troubles — but its history was anything but simple. Born in 1974 from a split within the republican movement, the INLA combined Irish republicanism with revolutionary socialism and launched its own armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland. Unlike the much larger IRA, the INLA remained a relatively small organization, yet it carried out bombings, assassinations, shootings, and attacks in both Northern Ireland and Britain. But the INLA's story was not simply a war against British forces. The organization also became involved in violent feuds with rival republican groups, suffered repeated internal divisions, and became deeply connected to the prison struggles and hunger strikes of the Troubles. From the rise of Seamus Costello and the formation of the movement, to the killing of Airey Neave, the 1981 hunger strike, the deadly INLA–IPLO feud, and the eventual ceasefire in 1998, this is the story of a republican army that spent decades fighting — and ultimately disappeared as an armed force. In 2009, the INLA announced that its armed struggle was over. In 2010, its remaining weapons were officially decommissioned. This is the history of the Irish National Liberation Army — the other republican army of the Troubles. If you enjoy detailed military history, political history, and forgotten conflicts, subscribe for more documentaries exploring the stories that are often left out of the mainstream history books. #INLA #IrishTroubles #northernireland #irishhistory #IRA #thetroubles #militaryhistory #historydocumentary #IrishRepublicanism #forgottenhistory