One Man's Terrorist: A Political History of the IRA

by Daniel Finn

A history of “the Troubles”: the radical politics of Republicanism

The conflict in Northern Ireland was one of the most devastating in post-war Europe, claiming the lives of 3,500 people and injuring many more. This book is a riveting new history of the radical politics that drove a unique insurgency that emerged from the crucible of 1968. Based on extensive archival research, One Man’s Terrorist explores the relationship between the IRA, a clandestine army described as ‘one of the most ruthless and capable insurgent forces in modern history’, and the political movement that developed alongside it to challenge British rule. From Wilson and Heath to Thatcher and Blair, a generation of British politicians had to face an unprecedented subversive threat whose reach extended from West Belfast to Westminster.

Finn shows how Republicans fought a war on several fronts, making use of every weapon available to achieve their goal of a united Ireland, from car bombs to election campaigns, street marches to hunger strikes. Though driven by an uncompromising revolutionary politics that blended militant nationalism with left-wing ideology, their movement was never monolithic, its history punctuated by splits and internal conflicts. The IRA’s war ultimately ended in stalemate, with the peace process of the 1990s and the Good Friday Agreement that has maintained an uneasy balance ever since.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Politics, Irish Literature, 20th Century, European History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2019

Reviews

[Julia D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and very dense, impressively brief given the complexity of the subject matter. I would definitely recommend it as an introduction for someone looking to get into the topic more, but maybe not to someone who only has a casual interest or mainly an interest in some specific period/figures. I read it in two bouts a few weeks apart which in hindsight was a mistake, during the second half I lost the thread a little since he rarely re-explains/introduces figures (on the other hand this helps with the overall brevity). Besides that, I would say it's very well written, often entertaining, honest in its sympathies, very convincing, and doesn't leave the reader wondering about anything really.

[Eren Buğlalılar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good resource to learn about the general political developments and leftist tendencies within The Six Counties since the Easter Uprising.

But still, the book left many of my questions unanswered: The author’s handling of the diverse ideologies, their origins and contents was less rigorous than of the historical events. I wish there was a part about how the basic tenets of the IRA ideology was transformed and engineered to fit in the peace process. Also, would have been nice to read something about the ‘foreign affairs’ of the movement and its relations, interactions with other liberation movements.

Overall a good, up-to-date, fluent and progressive account of the history of Irish movement for liberation.

[Tiarnán · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know Dan personally and believe him to be easily the best analyst of contemporary Northern Irish politics, doubly so from a leftist perspective.

Fittingly, this is probably the best monograph on the shifting politics of the Provisional movement from its origins as a militarist breakaway in the late 1960s until its current incarnation today as the largest electoral party in Ireland. The real insight of this book is mainly down to the simple yet powerful approach of actually taking figures such as Gerry Adams or Danny Morrison (and Michael Farrell) seriously as political thinkers and theorists, who had to adapt schema and orthodoxy against real-life situations and movements, rather than as the Raskolnikovian ideologues or schemers of both mainstream and 'dissident' republican commentary.

In this light, the best sections are the beginning - which charts the leftist influence in the civil rights and "civil resistance" movements - and the middle section, covering the reluctant entry of Sinn Féin into electoral politics in the wake of the hunger strikes of the early '80s and the subsequent drive by Adams and the figures around him to build the party as a serious political force, and the various roadblocks and challenges they encountered both internally and externally.

It's not a coincidence that these two sections are those that most heavily draw on original archival research among both state and republican papers, while the final chapters are a much more conventional history of the peace process based on secondary, mainly journalistic, sources. Another attractive feature of the beginning and middle sections are their inclusion of a range of wonderful trotspotting factoids that any follower of leftist arcana will enjoy on a purely geeky level; my favourite being that famous Fourth International factionalist Michel Pablo attended a Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in the late '70s.

If I have any criticisms they're niggles at best: firstly, that I tend to dispute the extent to which the '69 split was as politicised as portrayed - I think the major overriding factor was the militarist fall-out driven by the failure of the Belfast IRA to act in its traditional role as first line of Catholic defence against loyalist incursion (John O'Neill's history of the Belfast IRA covers this well); I think Millar & Hanley in their revisionist account in 'Lost Revolution' vastly overegg their case that the Belfast IRA/Dublin leadership were pure victims of circumstance rather than architects of the situation.

Secondly, I think the analysis of Kevin Bean and similar thinkers weighs a bit too heavily in how thoroughly the peace process is portrayed as one of the leadership "duping" the membership from the top down. I really enjoyed Thomas Leahy's recent "Intelligence War Against the IRA" which I think does a good job of balancing out this perspective. Achieving the peace process was much more of a negotiated settlement based on thinking coming from republican communities and prisoners themselves, as well as material changes on the ground (both economic and cultural, as well as the physical withdrawal of the army, etc).

Though having said all that, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle between Dan's narrative and O'Neill/Leahy, who tend to bend the stick too far in the opposite directions.

Great book.

[Padraic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear, well written history of the IRA. The first time that I have read a book which focused so little on the military aspect, but that's in the title and I guess is the point of this book.
The clarity of the writing makes for quick reading and I can't say it's plodding or boring but it could have done with a bit more narrative, fleshing out, or possibly going down a few rabbit holes.
If you are new to the subject then a companion volume, or Wikipedia on your phone might be useful - events and people are introduced quickly and succinctly and the reader must then keep up.
I found it insightful, expect to reread and refer to it in the future and would certainly recommend it.

[Nile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some books are transparently someone's doctoral thesis dolled up and this is one of them. Of course, an observation like that about a Verso book is not exactly Agatha Christie stuff from me... It does mean, however, that it's a very specific type of beast.

It's worth the read but it is very much a POLITICAL history of the IRA, rather than a history of the IRA, and for that the author has to make some pretty big decisions about what constitutes a political event to form this timeline. The massive infiltration of the IRA in the 80s is mentioned in passing once, meanwhile Bernadette Devlin McAliskey is mentioned perhaps every chapter bar the last. You could certainly argue she's earned all those mentions but when looking at the many things not mentioned in this history, the very worthy political acts of someone never a member of the IRA is unusual. You probably couldn't tell the story of The Troubles without her - but this isn't a story about The Troubles.

Anyway, ranking it three ArmaLites out of a possible five.

[Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a political history in the sense that the subject is political, not in the sense that the history itself wants to be very political

[Isobel Abrams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this with embarrassingly little knowledge about the Troubles and finished it feeling much more informed - exactly what I'd hoped. It was a surprisingly engaging read, easy to follow and nicely structured. It does what it says on the tin, giving an exhaustive overview of the politics of the IRA and how this changed and developed. I would have liked some context about the political history/belief of the IRA's unionist opponents, as this wasn't explored but is still relevant to how nationalist/republican politics developed.

Overall, a great introductory work for anyone looking to learn more about this topic.

[Garret Giblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really excellent bit of scholarship. Finn clearly put a huge amount of time and effort into this. The sections that deal with the splits between provos/stickies/INLA are particularly illuminating. Essential reading for anyone who desires a greater understanding of left/republican politics in the troubles. Tommy McKearney identifies a key strength of the text: "he does not suffer from the endemic hostility to his subject that mars so many other works in this genre"

[Brayden Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was interesting. There was so much here to absorb that I am certain I did not catch everything and at times all of the names of the different factions and their leaders blended together (not because of the Irish spelling but simply the quantity, who knew you could fit so many nationalist and left-wing factions in 6 counties!) That said however, this book offered a great overview of all things IRA, and I appreciate the thorough exploration the author provided. The history of the OIRA, Provos, Sinn Fein and all the rest is certainly even deeper than I knew, and I hope to further deepen my understanding in the future.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having only dipped into various histories of Irish republicanism before, I can heartily recommend ‘One Man’s Terrorist: A Political History of the IRA’ by Daniel Finn.

It presents readers with a clear and concise narrative that ensures you can tell your Provos from Officials, and the OIRA from the INLA.

Furthermore, the book not only succeeds in helping the reader understand the differences between all the Republican organisations - and their internal fault-lines - but does so without favour or apologism.

While also noting the outsized contributions of Irish revolutionary socialist groups like People’s Democracy and the Socialist Workers’ Movement.

Reading this book is a good launching pad into the more detailed, extensive, and narrower frameworks of other books on the subject.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of books about the IRA and you can fairly say a lot have something different to offer, but I’d say if you are interested in the radical politics of the IRA this is the book I would recommend. It has a sober assessment of the modern republican movement, perhaps where it stumbled, but never with the presumption of holding all strategic answers. If you want to lean contemporary lessons for movements today, particularly regarding community self-defense and the balance between mass movements and militancy, I highly recommend this as a readable, accessible, and incredibly poignant contribution. Curious to see what Finn writes next.

[Jed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assuming a rough knowledge of the major events in Northern Ireland in the last 60 years this book brilliantly outlines the political thinking and journeys of the major players.

It avoids being a blow by blow account of riots and beatings as can happen (see Tim Pat Coogan), and focusses precisely on the political considerations without getting bogged down in IRA convention-lore or Gerry Adams' most Machiavellian moments (see Ed Moloney).

Of particular strength is the attention devoted to ideas and challenges faced by smaller paramilitary-less groups such as People's Democracy. Both their contributions and that of the Officials, Workers Party, IRSP and INLA are dealt with without the sneering or belittling that is found in more popular accounts.

This is not quite for the general reader, the happenings and impact of the Internment, Hunger Strikes, Bloody Sunday, etc. is assumed. This allows for a succinct read that is focussed on each group's political journey and offers a safe, if depressing, prediction of Irish Republicanism's near future.

[Megan Buggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

No hate this was so interesting & very International Public Law of me. I believe Therese and Chris would be pleased😌

[Aaron Watling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a valuable resource for understanding the Sinn Fein line as it developed towards the GFA and beyond, as well as the broader history of the IRA of course. It may be a wishy washy point but the author should be commended for not feeling the need to condemn the IRA every other page and make gushing moralisations and instead opt to actually write a succinct history.

Final point, I would be interested to read any counter argument polemics from those who wanted to continue armed struggle - not necessarily because I agree with them but to get a fuller picture of the political developments within the republican movement, as opposed to the broader nationalist history that this book places itself in.

[Joe O'Donnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many histories of the Northern Ireland Troubles don’t delve too deeply into the political thought motivating the paramilitary groups on either side of the conflict. Too often histories of armed-struggle republicanism or loyalist paramilitarism offer little more than litany of atrocities by way of analysis. “One Man’s Terrorist” is historian Daniel Finn’s attempt to provide a history of the development of the political ideology underpinning one side of the armed conflict: the Provisional I.R.A. and their political wing Sinn Feín.

The main focus of “One Man’s Terrorist” is the half-century since the outbreak of the Troubles in 1968/9. Finn is excellent on the (then-peaceable) IRA’s attempt to gain influence within the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association during the late 1960s. At the outset of The Troubles, republicans were seeking to challenge the Northern Ireland state on the grounds of equality (rather than on the grounds of traditional narrow nationalism) as a way of exposing the true repressive nature of the Stormont state. This approach would change, however, with the arrival of the British Army into the province in 1969/70 and the disastrous decision by the Stormont authorities to introduce internment without trial in 1971. Finn charts the transition of Irish Republicanism during this period, characterising it as a shift “from Civil Rights to Civil Resistance”.

Where “One Man’s Terrorist” is quite strong is in explaining the internecine feuds and divisions that typified Irish Republicanism during the 1960s and 1970s. If you’ve ever pondered what separated the Provisionals from the Officials, and what divided them politically from the IRSP/INLA, this book is a good place for you to start. “One Man’s Terrorist” explains the philosophical and ideological development of the IRA and the wider Republican movement in an accessible way and without getting bogged down in arcane academic arguments.

Daniel Finn’s book lacks the sources, contacts and depth of analysis of a historian of Irish Republicanism such as, say, Ed Moloney and Brian Hanley. Certainly, any reader familiar with the latter’s work won’t find much that is new or original in “One Man’s Terrorist”. The later chapters also seem a little rushed, as Finn ploughs through the Republican Movement’s acceptance of the Good Friday Agreement and Decommissioning with undue haste. But, if you’re looking for an introduction or primer on this period of Irish history, then “One Man’s Terrorist” is a useful account of how Irish Republicanism, over the course of the last half-century, has shifted from a militant, ‘physical force’ revolutionary movement to a ‘slightly-constitutional’ flank of the political establishment.

[BOB · Rating 2 out of 5]

A more accurate title would be "A Political History of the NICRA, People's Democracy, the Workers Party, dozens of others and occasionally the IRA"

Finn ends the book saying those looking for true radical change "will have to look elsewhere" than Sinn Féin. Those looking for a proper history of the IRA will have to look elsewhere too.

[OskariF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nimeään hiukkasen kuivempi kirja. Lähdin lukemaan odotuksella, että olisi nimenomaan IRA:n historiaa. Sen sijaan kirja tarkastelee IRA:n sotilaallisen kampanjan rinnalla kehittynyttä poliittista liikettä. Itse IRA:n kampanjaa kirja käsittelee vain ohimennen. Kehityksen seuraamista helpottaa, jos tuntee Pohjois-Irlannin konfliktin pääpiirteet jo valmiiksi.

Tasavaltalaisten kamppailu oikeuksista Pohjois-Irlannissa ovat tärkeä tapausesimerkki siitä, miten onnistunut vapautusliike ei voi perustua pelkkää väkivaltaiseen tai väkivallattomaan kamppailuun vaan vaatii molempien matkaa rinta rinnan. Samaan aikaan se on kuitenkin myös esimerkki siitä, miten kamppailu voi parhaasta yrityksestä huolimatta jäädä onnistumatta. IRA:n sotilaskampanjan nauttima suosio Pohjois-Irlannissa oli hämmästyttävän suurta, mutta lopulta sen vaikutukset olivat kuitenkin rajalliset. 1980-luvulle tultaessa sen epäsuosio alkoi kasvaa siinä määrin, ettei sen avulla voinut lopulta saavuttaa yhtenäistä Irlantia tai edes suurempaa vallan hajauttamista Pohjois-Irlannille. Kirjan tarkastelu yltää lähes nykypäivään ja käsittelee lyhyesti Sinn Féinin taivalta suurin piirtein Brexitiin saakka. Tätä pidemmälle ei historijoitsija voisikaan edetä. Väkisin herää ajatus siitä, mikä on tasavaltalaisuuden pääoma ajassa, jossa laitaoikeiston suosio on suuressa kasvussa.

On hämmästyttävää, että ihan nykyaikaan saakka terrori-iskut ja siviileihin kohdistunut väkivalta ovat olleet arkipäivää Pohjois-Irlannissa. Tämän esimerkin soisi muistuttavan siitä, miten poliittinen väkivalta ei ole vain väärän väristen ja länsimaita sivistymättömämpien kansojen touhua, vaan monien vapautusliikkeiden väistämätön ilmenemismuoto. Kontrafaktuaalit ovat historiankirjoituksen epävarminta maastoa, mutta on syytä kysyä, olisiko katolilaisen väestön sorto Pohjois-Irlannissa loppunut niin kuin se loppui puhtaasti rauhanomaisin keinoin. Samalla voi sitten miettiä, kuinka pitkälle pelkkä sortajien ja vallanpitäjien sääntöjen mukaan toimiva vastarinta toimii muualla.

[Bas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was an interesting introduction to the IRA specifically and Irish Republicanism in general. The book gives a good idea how the ideology and the methods evolved throughout history and the tensions inside the movement. Certainly the conflict between a commitment to leftists ideals and Irish nationalism was wel developed. I do think that the book was both too short and at times difficult to follow. It really gives you the Cliff notes version of the history of NI and the Troubles and I really would have preferred sometimes a bit more deeper analysis. This is also caused the mentioning of a lot of different names but because they all get so little page time it's tough to remember them all and keep them all apart. This was a solid book but I had hopes for a bit more

[foxfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a whirlwind introduction to the IRA & its political history. Clearly well researched, as the reader I lost the thread a handful of times and struggled to keep separate parties & their acronyms distinct in my head. Perhaps this is a reflection of the IRA and not the writer? I read this over the span of a year and a half, not sure I would have retained any more information had I read it in one go. I really wanted more elaboration in events that defined political transitioning, as well as political differences between the Provos & the Officials, and why they were beefing with each other so hard. Looking forward to rounding these bits out with my own research.

[Petey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finn's thrust is that leftish politics strongly motivated many of the actors in the period 1967 (founding of NICRA) - 1998 (The Good Friday Agreement). He's right, though this fact has not been totally ignored by other writers. Also, the reader needs to have a good grounding in the events of that time, as some people, groups, and incidents are referred to without much explanation. But at 226 pages it's a swift read, worth the time, and I did learn from it.

(Oops, I read the hardcover not the Kindle. Same book anyway!)

[Ruairí]

Impressively concise overview of the period tracking in particular the ebbs and flow of Irish Republicanism’s relationship to class politics and left organisations. Nice focus on PD - the argument that it punched above its weight was convincing. Just shows you that it doesn’t matter how right you are if you’re right at the wrong time. Wish there was a bit more focus on the internal debates amongst prisoners in the h-blocks. The latter period up to 2017 is also understandably more of a sketch than analysis.

[Rich Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow manages to be concise and detailed all at the same time. Very well researched and gives a great overview of the ebbs and flows of the IRA, and their place in the recent history of Northern Ireland.

[Artem Gordin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read, very relevant not just to the Irish context, but to the global discussions. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to understand the complexities of a liberation struggle without broad generalizations, but also in a very accessible and engaging form.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, brief and well researched critical history of the political development of the Provisional IRA & Sinn Fein. A useful study for left wingers interested in both.

In spite of its (justified) critical stance the political acumen of Gerry Adams & Martin McGuinness can scarcely be denied in this account.

[Nathaniel Flakin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last #book I finished: Daniel Finn's history of the IRA. This was a great book for someone like me, who has been haphazardly absorbing information about Ireland's national liberation struggle for many years without ever having studied it. Now I think I can finally draw an accurate family tree for Officials, Provos, IRSP, etc.

What I was happy to learn: how often Trotskyism kept popping up, and not just in the well-known person of Eamonn McCann. Writings by the SWP's George Breitman influenced the early civil rights movement in the North; writings by Irish-American Trotskyist Gerry Foley influenced the Left of the republican movement; and more recently, direct action led by Trotskyist MPs pushed Sinn Fein to oppose austerity in the south. These are only isolated references in the book — can anyone recommend a text about Trotskyism in Ireland?

This book sticks to the objective tone of a Wikipedia article. I would have preferred to hear more of the author's voice: what lessons does he draw from all these experiences for the struggle for universal human emancipation? Multiple generations of republicanism have collapsed into reformism. The author says: "if there is one lesson to be drawn from the IRA’s history, it is that the whiff of cordite offers no lasting guarantee of radicalism." Definitely.

I remember discussing with a member of Sinn Fein many years ago, as they were preparing to enter a power-sharing government in Stormont. I asked if they wouldn't soon be implementing austerity — and he said that was impossible, as the memory of their dead would prevent them from betraying their principles. That clearly was not sufficient as a political program.

But the conclusion to this book is oblique: "Those who still aspire to the kind of change that the most radical elements in that tradition dreamed of will have to look elsewhere." OK. "Look elsewhere?" That's all we get after hundreds of pages, and years of study and reflection? Oh well. Still a very useful introduction that I enjoyed reading.

[Matthew McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on a complex subject, unique in its focus on the spirit of '68 and political strategy in the IRA - the various splits and splinter cells, and their fates - rather than the lurid and shadowy intrigue of the movement's violence; no book on this period can avoid the latter, but the balancing act, and ultimate triumph (arguable?), of the former merits significant discussion. Also, Finn avoids a moralizing tone, too prevalent in histories of Irish republicanism, and does not assume a historical dialogue with an uninitiated reader - again, all too common. Yes, some sense of the period and characters is recommended, but not required.

A good primer on the period and a useful read following SF's recent triumph in the South. For further context, Finn's articles "Irish Politics Since the Crash" and "The Adaptable Sinn Féin" are worth reading.

[frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

ganz interessant aber wirklich hohe informationsdichte pro seite gemessen in der einheit irische namen pro seite

[Simon B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fluent and remarkably succinct account of Irish republicanism and the struggle to end British colonial rule over the six northern counties of Ireland. It necessarily pays most attention to the political shifts and evolution of the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein, the biggest and most important nationalist organisations. It also looks at the contributions, for better or worse, made by other nationalist and leftist political currents active in the six counties. This includes the politics behind the IRA split between the Provos and the Officials. But One Man's Terrorist also takes into account the roles and influence of the small People's Democracy group, the Irish Republican Socialist Party and its armed wing the Irish National Liberation Army, the Communist Party of Northern Ireland and the moderate nationalist Social Democratic Labour Party.

It does a very good job explaining the changes in Sinn Fein/IRA political tactics and agenda throughout the Troubles, and how the Gerry Adams/Martin McGuinness leadership eventually reached the conclusion that the armed struggle had reached an impasse. The book's final conclusion is questionable: Finn suggests Sinn Fein electoral influence has plateaued and will likely jettison it's leftist political positions to become a junior coalition partner in government. Predicting Sinn Fein will shift to the right, Finn says: "Those who still aspire to the kind of change that the most radical elements in that [republican] tradition dreamed of will have to look elsewhere." Yet these conclusions may be too hasty as the political situation is once more changing rapidly. In the two years since this book was published Sinn Fein now polls as the largest party in the North and the South, a historic first. There has also been a dramatic shift in attitudes to Irish unity, especially in the North where some polls have shown majority support for Irish reunification.

[Alyson Sweriduk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew when I picked up this book that it was going to be a dense, well researched overview of the history of the IRA. As a pretty avid reader of military strategy I was not intimidated by the wall of information I knew was waiting. In fact it was one of the driving factors behind my initial purchase. I know nothing of the Troubles and I really wanted a book that was going to provide me with full historical context beyond Bloody Sunday and the assassination of Lord Mountbatten. This book did exactly that, it gave full context but it was significantly more difficult to follow than I was expecting. I learned much more than I had previously known about the power struggle for political control and its overlap on occasion with the mission of the IRA. This was a correction to my previous thought which was that the IRA was both the primary militant and political force behind the Troubles. To learn that there were so many different facets of the political landscape was appreciated. However, I got easily lost, easily distracted particularly by the continued abbreviation of the multiple organizations or the mention of main power players. It was difficult to keep straight who was who, which organization they belonged to and why it mattered. Overall it was insightful, but I feel like I came away with less knowledge than when I started.

[Leif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Finn has given us a very straightfoward, left-leaning history of the Irish Republican Army in its various permutations, alongside its companions, antagonists, and fellow-travellers in Irish politics from the Democratic Unionist Party who recently rose to fame by propping up Teresa May's brief, ineffectual government to Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail, and People's Democracy, all of whom are marked by the strong characters and personalities of the politicians, activists, militants, and victims of the second wave of the Irish "troubles". From the fascinating efforts of Bernadette Devlin to Gerry Adams, who are still with us, to the host of those who are not, the cast of Finn's story is varied and complex, and if the telling seems particularist to parties such as People's Democracy, so be it.

Once the brusque, alienating first chapter is over and the reader is brought up to speed with Irish political history from the first half of the twentieth century - which almost turned me off the book, I have to say; it is not very welcoming - Finn sinks into his subject with discernable relish, and if the pages do not fly by, that is because of the density of the material and not the writing itself. Finn is clear, jargon-free, and precise. I learned much.