[Godwin1]

The IRA’s stated goal was/is the imposition of a socialist, Irish speaking regime in the 32 counties of Ireland. The organization's first objective was to destroy the government of the the six northern Irish counties that are part of the United Kingdom. But a significant majority of people in these six northern counties wanted to remain part of the UK. There were and are democratic elections in this part of the Ireland and , all through the Troubles, the political party which shilled for the IRA—Sinn Fein— never achieved more than 10 percent of total votes cast in Northern Ireland. It is NOT analogous to the situation of 1776 because the Irish terrorists were operating against a democratic government and had access to the ballot. They were a small minority attempting to impose their will on a majority population by murder and terror.

[BfloGuy]

But a significant majority of people in these six northern counties wanted to remain part of the UK.

Thank you for mentioning that.

I remember, many years ago, a colleague asking me why Britain insisted on keeping Northern Ireland a part of the United Kingdom when it was so obvious they wanted independence. I told him that the majority of the population in Northern Ireland was Protestant and wished to remain under British rule. The IRA was a distinct minority trying to get its way through terrorism.

He was shocked. No one in the media (from which he'd formed his opinions, of course) had ever come out and stated that one simple fact.