Extreme wing of the Irish nationalist cause. Like
Irish nationalism, its aims are complete separation from British rule and a united 32-county republic. Republicanism, however, has generally been associated with organizations prepared to use physical force to achieve these aims. The history of Irish republicanism covers a period of over 200 years, from the activities of the
United Irishmen in the 1790s to those of
Sinn Fein and the
Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the 20th and 21st centuries.
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