The IRA's Operation Harvest

BY ART Mac EOIN


The Irish Republican Movement was, by the late 1940s, emerging from a dismal and debilitating period. Sinn Féin as a political party was almost non-existant, while the Irish Republican Army too had almost disappeared. Both organisations had drifted apart from each other and republicanism was in a poor state of organisational health North and South.

In 1948 what was left of the republican leadership set about the task of rebuilding the decimated movement. IRA Chief of Staff Tony Magan began re-organsing the underground army. Meanwhile Michael Traynor was tasked with re-eastablishing Sinn Féin branches throughout the country.

By the early 1950s important changes were made to republican policy. The IRA leadership issued an order prohibiting military action against the forces of the 26-County state. All attacks were to be directed against the British forces of occupation in the Six Counties.

By 1952 IRA recruitment was being carried out openly in the 26 Counties and the organisation was being re-established in the North. Military training was carried out in areas of republican strength, in preparation for an assault on the Six County area.

In June 1954, in an operation to procure arms, an IRA raiding party took over Gough Barracks in Armagh and escaped with a huge haul of 250 rifles, 37 sten guns, and nine bren guns. In the wake of this daring, sucessful and highly publicised operation, IRA recruiting increased dramatically,

An attempted repeat of the Gough raid backfired in Omagh, County Tyrone the following October and eight IRA Volunteers were captured and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.

Meanwhile Sinn Féin was attracting support on a widespread basis for the first time in decades. In the Westminster election of May 1955, Sinn Féin won two of the 12 seats in the Six Counties. Both seats are currently held by the party, over four decades later. Tom Mitchell and Phillip Clarke, both in jail for the Omagh raid, were elected for Mid Ulster and Fermanagh/South Tyrone.

Sinn Fein electoral support in the 1950s was not confined to the North and the party also elected four TDs in the 26 Counties. They were, John Joe McGirl, in the Sligo/Leitrim constituency, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh in Longford/Westmeath, John Joe Sheehy in Kerry North and Éancháin Ó Hanracháin in Monaghan.

By mid-1955 republicanism enjoyed widespread support in the Six Counties. However the IRA did not yet launch any armed campaign. In November, the small breakaway Saor Uladh grouping carried out armed actions around the border. The action of the dissidents complicated the situation for the IRA leadership which, naturally, was planning to strike at the most opprotune time, place and manner.

In January 1956, a recent IRA recruit had presented the leadership with a plan for revolutionary armed action, codenamed Operation Harvest. Part of the plan aimed to drive the crown forces out of certain areas in the North, creating liberated zones. The attack was to be launched that winter. However, the continued Saor Uladh activity forced the army into action sooner than planned.

On the night of 11 December 1956, in an operation involving up to 150 Volunteers, the IRA attacked targets in all of the Six Counties.

The Unionist regime at Stormont responded with the introduction of internment without trial. In July 1957, following the return to power of Fianna Fáil, internment was introduced in the South too.

Attacks on RUC barracks continued in 1957 and early 1958, but were mainly concentrated on the border area. Harsh repression on both sides of the border, the lack of a co-ordinated, revolutionary political strategy and other factors gradually began to take their toll and the pace of IRA activity and the frequency of succesful attacks slowed down. Eventually, by the end of 1958 armed actions had petered out.

The campaign was not officially called off until three years later when all Volunteers were ordered to dump arms. Eleven IRA Volunteers were killed in action during the campaign.

The IRA's Operation Harvest, began on 11 December 1956, 45 years ago this week.