my family is from the south of Ireland. growing up all the Irishers in our neighborhood supported the IRA and fought for the return of the six counties. then the asshats in the IRA went and blew up Lord Mountbatten on his yacht. The NY and the New England native Irish and IRA supporters went livid, pulled their support and shunned the IRA.
They ought have left Mountbatten alone.
IIRC, right after 9/11, money they were raising stateside dried up.
Went to Ireland and hitchhiked our way to Belfast. Took a tour of the conflicted areas (right after the cease fire). Saw Sinn Fein headquarters with a media gaggle outside....Falls Road....Shankhill Road.....armoured vehicles.....murals. Police station covered with layers of barbed wire, steel, and concrete. Very surreal.