An Ireland Free?

By David Coley, Dramaturg for The Lieutenant of Inishmore

“We acknowledge and admit faults and grievous errors in our prosecution of the war. Innocent people were injured…For this we as Republicans, as Socialists and as Revolutionaries do offer a sincere, heartfelt and genuine apology.”

These words were written in a 1998 declaration by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), effectively ratifying the Belfast Agreement and ending their armed struggle of more than 25 years. The Belfast Agreement was supported by a large majority of the Irish people, and finally forged an accord between most of the active paramilitary groups on the island. Though some violence was to persist intermittently for a few years, the battle for “an Ireland free” was over.

It was a battle that lasted almost a century, beginning with the Easter Rising of 1916. Though it initially failed, it began a chain reaction that, through political and military means, led to the declaration of an Irish republic in 1919, and finally independence from Britain in 1921. Unfortunately, that independence was not complete, with the Northern territories opting to stay within the United Kingdom.

This was unacceptable for radical militant groups. First came a civil war between the split factions of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which resulted in victory for those who supported the 1921 treaty. Those who rejected the treaty continued to wage war under the IRA moniker until 1969, when socialist ideas and questions about violence split the organization once again.

In 1972, the Official IRA voted to declare a ceasefire, but some believed that the struggle was not over. It was out of this fervor that the INLA was born. Frequently fighting with the Official IRA, the INLA was often in a precarious position. They soon made a name for themselves with a series of high-profile assassinations and bombings, which were controversial due to the high civilian body count. Splinter organizations such as the INLA/GHQ and the IPLO attempted to overthrow the INLA, but were quickly put down.

All of this came to an end in 1998. There is a feeling of defeat and regret in their statement, acknowledging their “grievous errors,” but still remaining unapologetic about their armed struggle against the British. Fighting so hard and achieving so little is exhausting, especially with the realization, as one character in this play puts it, that “…all this terror was for nothing.”

The characters of the play exist in a place where terror reigns and reason has little foothold. Though the results are often hilarious, the penchant for futile violence in Ireland still blazes forth, with little regard to whatever human or animal life stands in the way.