I think there was a reasonable afternoon movie in here somewhere but it was just a mess.
The whole IRA sub story was just so unnecessary - there was enough going on with the current day USA and Ireland stories, as well as the WWII story.
The current day (i.e. 1991) Northern Ireland story DID have the IRA in it, and I think was an important part of the overall story. The 1941 Northern Ireland scenes were not a big part of the film. But I think it's useful to be reminded that the IRA has a long history. Being on the opposite side of the Atlantic, I was certainly unaware of it. Also, it adds some continuity, contrast, and depth to the Northern Ireland scenes. It's a real place, and things happen there. It's not just a place for US planes to fall out of the sky.