MovieChat Forums > The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2007) Discussion > Why do people cry about the Provos so mu...

Why do people cry about the Provos so much?

posted 13 years ago by LinBiao1917
19 replies | jump to latest

The PIRA were about the tamest national liberation organisation there's ever been. The ANC who everyone love now were way more scary and indiscriminate than them, and how about the FLN in Algeria? The IRA at their absolute worst were pink fluffy bunnies compared to those guys. Even the French Resistance were more brutal than the Provos, and so were the "respectable" IRA of the war of independence for that matter. The Provo campaign probably would've gone a lot better if they'd been a bit more like the unfeeling demons that the BBC and RTE would have you believe they were.

And BTW, before the British nationalists come out, I'm from Britain. I don't even really like the Provos that much as far as their politics went (I'd have supported the Official IRA then the INLA), but I'm still not just gonna repeat the pro-imperialist version of Irish history. Ireland deserves its freedom from us, and the Provos, despite their shortcomings, did strike some impressive blows in pursuit of that goal.

[–] Creideamh 13 years ago

Well, personally, the Provos killed my 5 year old cousin about 7 years ago when they were going after some a-hole. I'm Irish, and my great grandfathers and relatives fought (and some died in the fight as well as british jails from torture) for Irish independence from the 1798 Rebellion to the 1916-1921 War of Independence, one of them being Tom Barry. Plain and simple, they've spilled Irish blood, innocent blood. They might as well have spit on their graves and wiped their mouths on Eireann's Flag.

[–] blood_summit 13 years ago

So your granddad is Tom Barry of the IRA's West Cork flying column of the 1920s?

For the record, I heard some bad stories about the Provos. (In particular, one guy who recieved a kneecapping because he hit a Provo who insulted his daughter in a pub.) Seriously, people who are shot in the back of the knees like that are never completely the same.

[–] john-dack 13 years ago

I'm from Warrington in England, and remember well our first hand experience with the IRA.

Personally, I agree with the actions from the freedom fighters from 1916-22, (and before) and I hate seeing or hearing people compare them with the the IRA that planted bombs in civilian areas during the 1960s-1990s.

Those people who planted the bombs where not freedom fighters, or soldiers......they were just plain Terrorists.

I'm studying History at the moment, and even though I've always known that imperial Britain was brutal, the behaviour of the black and tans and the English politicians towards the Irish has really shocked me.

I surpose the actons of the politicians and such is where the IRA(post 1921 treaty) got there motivation and reasoning from, but in my opinion, there is no excuse for planting bombs in civilian areas - they were cowardly acts. Especially considering that Ireland could now argue it's case politically.

[–] blood_summit 13 years ago

Unlike IRA bombings of army pubs, there was no chance that the PIRA could explain it away. Even Provos in Belfast were unhappy about it.

Plus there were protests in Dublin organised by Susan Mchugh against the PIRA.

It's also worth noting that the father of Tim Parry (Colin Parry) founded the Tim Parry and Jonathan Ball foundation for peace.

[–] cormacmccloskey 13 years ago

LinBiao1917 - Idiot.

"The PIRA were about the tamest national liberation organisation there's ever been."

Dont really know what way to take that comment or this is thread as serious, considering the Provisional IRA have been described by British army generals as a "deadly organisation".

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Creideamh 13 years ago

Ah, I'm pleased someone knows of my Da. He passed when I was too young to know what he did, but I'm sure he's rolling in his grave about the cowards that say they're his scions today. Actually it was my little cousin that was killed with the Parry boy, too.

[–] blood_summit 13 years ago

Well I remember hearing that while Tom Barry was sympathetic to the Provos goals, he had some reservations about their tactics - particularly attacking civilians on both sides of the Irish sea - but then again, those IRA veterans who hadn't joined the provos in 1969 had some reservations as well.

[–] Sensimilla 13 years ago

Irish blood, innocent blood.
Do you know who Tom Barry was cause as far as Im aware he spilled his fair share of Irish and innocent blood aswell if not more than the provos, only diffenece is the British didnt leave the North, so the provos arent the heros that Tom Barry and co are.

[–] simonpcpearson 13 years ago

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1237634/The-IRA-boasted-shooting-child-abusers-How-odd-ignored-vile-crimes-Gerry-Adams-father-brother.html

[–] honkers1323 13 years ago

Yes,the Provos: Trotskyite splittists!

The awful irony of all this Irish anti-Brit or anti-English angst (I'm 1/2 Irish, BTW) is that the "Irish" (i.e the Gaels and Danes) are not the native inhabitants of the island of Ireland; the people the Gaels call the "Pritani" were there before them; and maybe others before the Pritani.

Pritani is the Gaelic version of the English word we now use as "British"
i.e What are now the Welsh; Cornish and Bretons: absolutely not the English and not most of the Scots; who were Gael invaders from Ireland). The Gaels probably invaded and conquered Ireland around the same time as the Anglo-Saxons etc (i.e. the English)invaded the rest of the British Isles, as the Roman Empire collapsed

The English; well, actually the Norman-Anglo Saxon English under Richard Clare, Strongbow, invaded Ireland much later in 1169-70 but at the request of one of the feuding Kings of Ireland, that of Leinster.

Be anti-English, by all means. But anti-Brit is just plain ignorant. The original Brits were the original"Irish".

BTW one of the Welsh names for the Irish translates as "Slaver"; the Gaels were leading slave-raiders (St Patrick anyone?) and slave traders for much of the Dark Ages; largely stoppped when the English got control of the N European seas.

The other inconvenient truth for modern Irish nationalists is that between them they killed more Irish in the Civil War than the English had done for a long time... probably since the 1798 Rebellion.

Another one or two: de Valera, walked down to the German Embassy and signed the official sympathy book for Hitler's death; he didn't do that a few weeks earlier for his countryman, Roosevelt. Crypto-fascist, but too afraid of the UK/USA to actually join the Axis; and
Ireland was the only non-Axis country to recognize the Japanese puppet Government of India declared by Bhose

[–] cormacmccloskey 13 years ago

Well the Provisional IRA managed to wack round 1,100 British soldiers so they are hardly "the tamest national liberation organisation there's ever been."

[–] blood_summit 13 years ago

I partly agree with honkers1323 but I'd like to add the followong;

Ken Loach is English. (for those who aren't paying attention, he directed this film)

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Ghosthunter123424 11 years ago

Using your logic all of mankind is the same.

At some point the people of a nation claim that nation as something they identify with. There's much more to it, but thats as simply as it can be put.

After the Romans decided to stop bitch slapping the English around, they left, leaving behind a lot of advanced technology. Its only natural that Britain would use those advancements to their advantage. If Ireland or Scotland for that matter had of been occupied by the Romans, history would be very different.

De Valera had no intention of joining the Axis, his reasons for remaining neutral are self evident and spreading half-informed opinions as fact is really quite awful.

[–] Hotrodder 11 years ago

Er, there were no "English" in Roman times.

"Oh dear. How sad. Never mind!"

[–] Ghosthunter123424 11 years ago

Er, look at the target and content of my post, or just continue stating the obvious whilst contributing nothing.

[–] Joxerlives 10 years ago

Because it's all a lie, they live in the freest most libertarian country on earth and still try to claim they're oppressed as they commit genocide and ethnic cleansing against their unionist neighbours

[–] 10 years ago

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