Provos: The IRA And Sinn Fein

In the first episode of his series looking at the history of the Irish Republican Movement, Peter Taylor examines the origins of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Programnme includes first-hand accounts by former terrorists, British ministers and senior members of the security forces.

In the second episode of his series looking at the history of the Irish Republican Movement, Peter Taylor traces the emergence of Sinn Fein as a political force in Northern Ireland. He looks at the hunger strikes and dirty protest in the Maze prison and the election of Bobby Sands and Gerry Adams as MPs.

Concentrates on the 1980s and the relaunch of a campaign by the IRA after the death of the hunger strikers. Looks at the increase in heavy weaponry purchased and the funding and supply lines and the IRA’s keenness to get hold of surface-to-air missiles to shoot down army helicopters. It also goes into the emergence of IRA informants and ”supergrasses” and the effect they had on operations.

In the final episode of his series looking at the history of the Irish Republican Movement, Peter Taylor traces the events leading up to Sinn Fein joining the peace process. The last attempt to find a peaceful solution in the 1980s, is also examined.