- NORAID
-
Noraid or the Irish Northern Aid Committee is an Irish American fund raising organization founded after the start of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in 1969. The organisation's mission statement declares that:[1]
Irish Northern Aid is an American based membership organization that supports through peaceful means, the establishment of a democratic 32-county Ireland. Our Strategy: To develop a broad coalition of supporters for Irish Unity through organizing and educating the public, our members, political leaders, and the media. To support the current Peace Process, including the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement which was endorsed by the vast majority of the Irish people. To support a process of National reconciliation and equality for all the citizens of Ireland. Membership: In keeping with the principles of the 1916 Proclamation, Irish Northern Aid is open to anyone who shares these values.
Unionist politicians and the British, Irish and United States governments have accused Noraid of being a front for the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), and that it was involved in fund raising for IRA arms importation from North America since the early 1970s.[2][3][4][5] This accusation has always been denied by Noraid. Noraid's former leader, Martin Galvin, was banned from the United Kingdom in the 1980s.[6] The charge was also disputed by historian Ed Moloney who stated that the funds raised by NORAID went to the families of IRA volunteers, while Clan na Gael was the principal financial backer of the Provisional IRA. [7]
In May 1981, the U.S. Department of Justice won a court case forcing Noraid to register the Provisional Irish Republican Army as its "foreign principal", under the Foreign Agents Registration Act 1938. A compromise was reached which allowed Noraid to include a written disclaimer against the court ruling stating the document had been signed under force and that Noraid maintained that the IRA was not its "foreign principal". Federal attorneys agreed to this, and Noraid resumed filing its financial returns in July 1984.[8]
The group was supportive of the peace process and the subsequent Good Friday Agreement. It is nowadays highly supportive of Sinn Féin.
See also
References
- ^ Mission Statement
- ^ Bandit Country: Toby Harnden ISBN 0-340-71737-8
- ^ "Decommissioning in the summer - Ahern". BBC News. BBC. 1998-04-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/northern_ireland/latest_news/77699.stm. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
- ^ Duffy, Jonathan (2001-09-26). "Rich friends in New York". BBC News. BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1563119.stm. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
- ^ "Passing the Hat for the Provos". Time Magazine. 1979-11-26. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946419,00.html?promoid=googlep. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
- ^ "Decommissioning in the summer - Ahern". BBC News. BBC. 1998-04-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/northern_ireland/latest_news/77699.stm. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
- ^ http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/mal10-41.htm
- ^ "Irish America and the Ulster Conflict 1968-1995". CAIN Web Service. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/aia/wilson95.htm#chap9. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
External links
- Irish Northern Aid — the organization's website
- Irish Northern Aid Committee (NORAID) — the University of Ulster's CAIN project entry on NORAID
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