Irish Republican Socialist Party - History

History

The Irish Republican Socialist Party was founded on 8 December 1974 by former members of the Official Republican Movement, independent socialists, and trade unionists headed by Seamus Costello. A paramilitary wing, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was founded the same day, although its existence was intended to be kept hidden until such a time that the INLA could operate effectively. Seamus Costello was elected as the party's first chairperson and the army's first chief of staff. Together, the IRSP and the INLA refer to themselves as the Irish Republican Socialist Movement (IRSM).

Former MP for Mid-Ulster Bernadette McAliskey served on the executive of the IRSP. She resigned following the failure of a motion to be passed which would have brought the INLA under the control of the IRSP Ard Cohmairle. This led to the resignation of half the Ard Comhairle which weakened the party. The future TD Tony Gregory was also a member for a short time. Its poor showing in the 1977 Irish General Election and the assassination of Seamus Costello also hampered the organisation.

Costello was expelled from the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) following a court-martial, and from Official Sinn Féin on the same basis. Along with other activists he was dissatisfied with the group's tactics and policies especially on the issues surrounding the 1972 OIRA ceasefire and the arising belief that the emerging conflict was sectarian. In 1977 he was shot dead in his car by a man armed with a shotgun. His supporters blame the Official IRA for the killing.

Although a truce was eventually reached following meetings between the INLA and OIRA leadership in Dublin, in one of the first of the INLA's armed operations, Billy McMillen, Belfast Battalion OIRA Officer Commanding in Belfast, was murdered by Gerard Steenson. In the following years the IRSP and INLA saw many members killed in attacks from state forces and loyalist paramilitaries including leading members Miriam Daly, Ronnie Bunting and Noel Little.

Three members of the INLA died in the 1981 Hunger Strikes in HM Prison Maze (aka Long Kesh). They were Patsy O'Hara, Kevin Lynch, and Michael Devine.

In 1981, party members Gerry Kelly and Sean Flynn won two seats on Belfast City Council in a joint campaign with People's Democracy, although neither councillor served a full term with one going on the run after being implicated during the Supergrass trials and another resigning his seat citing disillusionment with the IRSP and later claiming in the Irish News that he had received threats from his former colleagues.