Why did (some)Americans (Irish-Americans?) view the IRA as 'brave freedom fighters'?

Question

They seemed to think that the British should leave Ireland and it should become 'one' again, so where they completly ambogious to the fact that the IRA where murduring terrorists that killed thousands of innocent civilains as opposed to British soldiers that might have been demmed 'acceptable'. Was it mainly from the support of some Irish-Americans and their funding to the IRA?

Answer 1

any man or woman who will give their life for what they believe in is brave, how can anyone deny that, I am not saying they are always right, or that I agree with them , but like them or what they stand for is immaterial , they are brave according to the dictionary, and I feel the same, when we speak of freedom fighters v terrorist, did you know that the English classified Washington , Franklin, and many more of our founding fathers terrorist? so it depends on which side you are on as to wheather they are terrorist or freedom fighters,

Answer 2

The IRA are not freedom fighters, they are Terrorists and no better than the murderers who flew the planes into the Twin Towers. I worked as a telegrapher for abc News London bureau for 25 years and was aghast at the stupidy of most of the Americans I knew there who supported the IRA both verbally and with money. I'm sorry to say that America and her people got a massive wake up call at 9/11 - not the best way to learn about Terrorism. When your city has been bombed, as has mine here in London, by the Terrorists, both the IRA and in more recent years Muslim Extremists, you have a quite different perspective. I do compare the activities of the IRA (still active today in Ireland and elsewhere) with the Islamic terrorists. Our NATO armies are fighting against these very same terrorists in the guise of the Taliban in Afghanistan who are known supporters, advisers and the trainers of those terrorists who have blown up the London Underground (Tube) and plan to do us even more harm. AMERICA - wake up. If you give support to the IRA either verbally or in the form of money, then you too are a terrorist.

Answer 3

They lack an education that looks at all History. 40 million Americans claim some level of Irish ancestry and only know that. I have argued with some that Ireland had the Democratic vote and the counties that wanted to leave could leave. The remaining few were in opposition to the law and even supported the Nazi's in WW2 and the Communists during the cold war. They see St. Paddies day and green beer and not much else. I tell them England was in Ireland for 700 years and White men in the Americas for only 400 if they feel so strong that England gets out of Ireland's North I tell them to call the Indain Affairs office and Donate their House and beg forgiveness as they have less rights here than the English do there!!!

Answer 4

Because millions of our people were forced to flee Ireland following the great famine in the mid 1800's which was caused by the British landlord system in Ireland. Many of these refugees fled to America. This community was disgusted at the discrimination against Catholics in the northern State, a sectarian state set up to provide supremecy for British settlers in the same was as South Africa was to provide supremecy for whites. When Catholics began to agitate for civil rights and were beaten off the streets and then murdered by Protestant extremists the Catholics formed the Provisional IRA for self defence. The Irish American community could not stand by as their fellow countrymen were burned out of their homes and murdered by these state sponsored nazis with their gangs such as the UDA and Shankill Butchers. After Bloody Sunday it became clear that the only way forward was for complete British withdrawal and again the Americans supported the volunteers of the IRA. I think the question you should be asking is why are the Americans not pressuriing their government to cut links with Britain. Britain set up and colluded with Loyalist murder gangs in the murder of innocent people. These people were actually behind more killings of civilians than the IRA. British soldiers were involved in shoot to kill against innocent Irish people and the only language they trully understood came from the barrells of IRA guns. If you support British interference in Ireland, you should expect the Irish people to resist. Civilians were sadly killed by the IRA but they were never intentionly targetted, unlike the Loyalists who specifically targetted innocent Catholics with the backing of the RUC and the British army. In terms of Brits, Loyalists and RUC I think the IRA did not kill enough of those murdering Nazi scumbags

Answer 5

A good sales pitch basicly.

The issues in Irealand were (are) more complex than the media would have us belive. It was never a Catholic/Protestant ie religous issue. It just happened that the opposing groups were Catholic and Protestant.

The British did treat the Irish very badly and the Irish gave the British a bad time whenever they could.

Answer 6

If the British invaded the US tomorrow, do you not think we would continue fighting them forever? The innocent always lose their lives in fighting.

Answer 7

Americans don't use phrases like "brave freedom fighters."
little lockstepping commies do.