Northern Command was a command division in the

Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) The Irish Republican Army of 1922–1969, an anti-Treaty sub-group of the original Irish Republican Army (1919-1922), fought against the Irish Free State in the Irish Civil War, and its successors up to 1969, when the IRA split again into the ...

and

Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...

, responsible for directing IRA operations in the northern part of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

IRA

The IRA had difficulty with cross-border communications between

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

and

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

after the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, and some northern based members of the IRA believed a self-contained unit was required. Charlie McGlade, a printer from Belfast, was the architect of the idea, and Northern Command was formed in 1939 taking responsibility for IRA operations in the six counties of

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

and also

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

, while Southern Command took responsibility for the other 25 counties of

. By the early 1950s, both Northern Command and Southern Command had faded away, and the leadership of the IRA was southern-based, with all commands being issued from

. Charlie McGlade became the O/C of the Northern Command, Jimmy Steele became Adjutant, also appointed was

Seán McCaughey Seán McCaughey (Irish: Seán Mac Eóchaidh) (1915 – 11 May 1946) was an Irish Republican Army leader in the 1930s and 1940s and hunger striker. Background McCaughey was born in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone in 1915 and in 1921 his family move ...

as Quartermaster. In 1940 McGlade stepped down as O/C of Northern Command and appointed McCaughey to the position.

Provisional IRA

In the mid-1970s a new Northern Command was proposed by

Gerry Adams Gerard Adams ( ga, Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. ...

and

Ivor Bell Ivor Malachy Bell (born 1936/1937) is an Irish republicanism, Irish republican, and a former Volunteer (Irish republican), volunteer in the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade, Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who later ...

, which would cover the six counties of

, and also County Louth, County Cavan,

County Monaghan County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County C ...

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

and

. These counties were effectively the "war zone" where paramilitary operations were planned and carried out. The role of the IRA Southern Command, covering the remaining 21 counties, would be to provide logistical support for the campaign in the north. Veteran republicans such as

Joe Cahill , birth_date = , death_date = , birth_place = Belfast, Ireland , death_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland , image = Joe Cahill.png , caption = Cahill, early 1990s. , allegiance = Provisional Irish Republican ...

and

Billy McKee Billy McKee ( ga, Liam Mac Aoidh; 12 November 1921 – 11 June 2019) was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican and a founding member and leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Early life McKee was born in Belfast on 12 November 1921 ...

opposed the idea fearing a split in the movement, but Chief of Staff

Seamus Twomey Seamus Twomey ( ga, Séamus Ó Tuama; 5 November 1919 – 12 September 1989) was an Irish republican activist, militant, and twice chief of staff of the Provisional IRA. Biography Born in Belfast on Marchioness Street,Volunteer Seamus Twomey, ...

backed the idea and a new Northern Command was formed in late 1976.

References

1939 establishments in the United Kingdom Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) Provisional Irish Republican Army {{Paramilitary-org-stub