The Provisional Irish Republican Army was founded in the aftermath of the violence in Belfast and Londonderry in August 1969.

Younger republicans considered the existing IRA as inadequate and formed the breakaway group.

At the top of the chain of command is the General Army Convention. It is the supreme authority of the IRA and has only met a handful of times since 1969.

Beneath it is the Army Executive, elected by the Convention which, in turn elects the Army Council.

Seven key members form the nucleus of the Council which plans IRA strategy. One of the seven will be the Chief of Staff who recruits its members.

Masked IRA men in an armed show of strength

Beneath the Council is the General Headquarters which oversees day-to-day IRA activity.

The Quartermaster, responsible for supplying weapons and explosives, is based in the headquarters.

IRA headquarters also looks after training, security such as tracking down informers, bomb-making, intelligence and the purchasing of weapons.

The IRA then splits into two arms - Northern and Southern Army Command.

Republican mural demanding British troops out of Northern Ireland

The Northern group, with its own quartermaster is split into nine brigade areas, which suggest targets . Each brigade has active service units which carry out the operations and report to the brigade commanding officer.

The Southern Area Command plays a support role to the Northern group but is also responsible for the England/Overseas Department, which controls operations on the British mainland.

Cells in the Overseas Department are kept apart from all other IRA activity. Units in England are responsible for planting bombs or supporting other operations. No cell has contact with any other to keep security tight.
 

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