User:Jnestorius/Names for the IRA

Various physical force Irish republican paramilitary groups have used the name "the Irish Republican Army", abbreviated "IRA", in the English language, and often also an Irish language name, usually "Óglaigh na hÉireann". Others may avoid using these labels for reasons of pragmatism and principle. Since multiple organisations have used the same name, some form of disambiguation is needed to distinguish them from each other; in addition, those who regard the labels as rightfully belonging to a particular organisation may regard its use by other groups as illegitimate.

In the Irish language, the most common label is the English initialism "IRA"; with the definite article an this gives an IRA or an tIRA.

Period	English self name	Irish self name	Alternative English labels	Alternative Irish labels	Notes
1913–c.1919	Irish Volunteers	Óglaigh na hÉireann, Fianna Fáil
c.1919–22	Irish Republican Army	Óglaigh na hÉireann	IRA, Old IRA	IRA	See Irish Republican Army; in Irish War of Independence
1922–24	National Army		Free State army		Did this use Óglaigh na hÉireann? If not, it should not be in the table.
1922–69	Irish Republican Army	Óglaigh na hÉireann	"Irregulars" (Irish Civil War); "the organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army (also the I.R.A. and Oglaigh na héireann)" (1939 proscription order)		See Irish Republican Army (1922–69)
1924–present	Defence Forces	Óglaigh na hÉireann			The Republic of Ireland armed forces
1969–	Irish Republican Army	Óglaigh na hÉireann	Official IRA, OIRA
1969–	Irish Republican Army	Óglaigh na hÉireann	Provisional IRA, PIRA, Provos	IRA
1986–	Irish Republican Army	Óglaigh na hÉireann	CIRA
1997–	Irish Republican Army	Óglaigh na hÉireann	Real IRA
–	New IRA
–		Óglaigh na hÉireann			See Óglaigh na hÉireann (Continuity IRA splinter group)
–		Óglaigh na hÉireann			See Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group)