Irish Republican Army (IRA) FBI Files

Description

FBI Files: Irish Republican Activity in America, 1939-1976

Timeline of Main Events (1939-1976)

• Pre-1939: The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exists as an organization seeking to end British rule in Northern Ireland and unify Ireland. Clan na Gael also exists as an Irish-American social organization.
• 1939: An FBI report details the history of the IRA and its connections to Irish Americans in the United States.
• Late 1930s – Early 1940s: The FBI becomes concerned that anti-British sentiment among Irish Americans could be exploited by a German “fifth column” to carry out sabotage and subversion in the United States.
• Early 1940s: FBI memos focus on Cornelius “Connie” Neenan, the former head of the IRA in the United States and founder of the U.S. Irish hospital sweepstakes.
• Early 1940s: FBI memos also focus on Joseph McGarrity, a leader of the Philadelphia district of Clan na Gael.
• Early 1940s: The FBI creates documents concerning former IRA chief Sean Russell, with confusion arising over whether he is alive or dead and his whereabouts (United States or elsewhere).
• July 31, 1943: The Irish Advocate newspaper publishes an article stating that a recently deceased individual left $100 to the IRA. This triggers an FBI investigation into how the money would be transferred to the IRA, hoping to uncover methods of transmitting funds from America to Ireland.
• 1944: An undercover FBI agent attends a closed meeting of the IRA and Clan na Gael held in New York City.
• Early 1970s: Pro-IRA demonstrations take place in the San Francisco area, and the FBI notes possible interest in the IRA cause from “New Left” groups.
• 1976: The latest date of the FBI files included in this collection.

Cast of Characters

• Cornelius “Connie” Neenan: Former head of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the United States. He was also the founder of the U.S. Irish hospital sweepstakes. The FBI maintained memos on his activities in the early 1940s.
• Joseph McGarrity: A prominent leader within the Philadelphia district of Clan na Gael. The FBI compiled memos concerning him in the early 1940s, suggesting his importance within Irish-American republican circles.
• Sean Russell: Former chief of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). During the early 1940s, the FBI had memos detailing confusion surrounding his status (alive or dead) and location (United States or elsewhere).
• Individual who left $100 to the IRA (unnamed): This person’s will, mentioned in the July 31, 1943 edition of the Irish Advocate, inadvertently triggered an FBI investigation into the financial connections between Irish Americans and the IRA.

Organizations Mentioned:

• Irish Republican Army (IRA): An Irish republican paramilitary organization that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, reunite Ireland, and establish an independent republic encompassing the entire island. The FBI files cover various periods of its activity and its connections to the United States.
• Clan na Gael: An Irish-American social organization that had connections to the Irish republican movement. Joseph McGarrity was a leader within this organization, and they held joint meetings with the IRA in the US, as evidenced by the 1944 FBI memo.
• Irish Northern Aid Committee: An organization mentioned in the FBI files, likely involved in providing support (potentially financial) to those in Northern Ireland, possibly with republican sympathies.
• “New Left” groups: A loosely defined collection of left-wing political movements that gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. The FBI noted a potential interest in the IRA cause among some of these groups in the early 1970s.

Irish Republican Army (IRA) FBI Files

2,871 pages of FBI files covering the Irish Republican Army and activities in the U.S. with links or possible links to the Irish Republican Army.

The files date from 1939 to 1976. Files contain approximately 1,200 pages of discernable memos.

The name Irish Republican Army or IRA has been used in whole or part distinctly different organizations. The Irish Republican Army, also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican paramilitary organization that sought through a wide range of means to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate the reunification of Ireland and bring about an independent republic encompassing all of Ireland.

Highlights from the files include:

A 1939 report accounts the history of the IRA and connections to Irish Americans in the United States.

Files show FBI concern in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s that anti-British sentiment by Irish Americans might be used by a German fifth column to foster sabotage and subversion in the United States.

FBI memos concerning Cornelius Neenan, also known as Connie Neenan. Neenan was the former head of the Irish Republican Army in the United States and the founder of the U.S. Irish hospital sweepstakes.

Information on organizations such as the Irish Northern Aid Committee and the Irish-American social organization Clan Na Gael.

FBI memorandums concerning Joseph McGarrity. Joe McGarrity was a leader of the Philadelphia district of Clan-na-Gael.

Documents concerning former IRA chief Sean Russell. Memos show confusion over whether Sean Russell was alive or dead and whether he was in the United States or if he had left.

Memos show that when the July 31, 1943 edition of the Irish Advocate printed an article stating that an individual who had recently died had left $100 in her will to the Irish Republican Army, this launched an FBI investigation to determine how the money would be transferred to the IRA in the hope that it would reveal methods of transmission of funds from America to the IRA in Ireland.

Memos show that an undercover FBI agent was able to attend a closed meeting of the IRA-Clan Na Gal held in New York City in 1944.

Memos document pro-IRA demonstrations held in the San Francisco area in the early 1970’s and possible interest by New Left groups in the IRA cause.