Óglaigh na hÉireann (CIRA splinter group)

Óglaigh na hÉireann (Irish for "Warriors of Ireland"; correctly abbreviated as ÓnaÉ, but often incorrectly abbreviated as ONH) is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that split from the Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) in 2006.

In February 2006, the Independent Monitoring Commission reported that a new republican group styling itself "Óglaigh na hÉireann" had been formed, along with another organisation, Saoirse na hÉireann, after a split from the CIRA. (The same name is also claimed by several other Irish republican paramilitary organisations as an Irish-language title, as well as by the Irish Defence Forces, the regular military forces of the Republic of Ireland; see Óglaigh na hÉireann). The report claimed that ÓnaÉ was responsible for an assault, several hoax devices, and robbery of a post office. [Citation
author-link = Independent Monitoring Commission
publication-date =
date =1 February 2006
year =
title =Eighth Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission
publication-place = London
place =
publisher =The Stationery Office
isbn = 978-0-10-293702-2
url =http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org/documents/uploads/8th%20IMC%20Report.pdf
accessdate = 14 May 2008]

The IMC's thirteenth report claimed that ÓnaÉ "has become more dangerously active," citing several pipe bomb attacks, and another larger bombing. [Citation
author-link = Independent Monitoring Commission
publication-date =
date =30 January 2007
year =
title =Thirteenth Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission
publication-place = London
place =
publisher =The Stationery Office
isbn = 978-0-10-294431-0
url =http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org/documents/uploads/Thirteenth%20Report.pdf
accessdate = 14 May 2008] These were the first explosive devices ÓnaÉ had deployed. Further to the IMC's eighteenth report, which found that the organisation's criminal and terrorist activity had increased (including drug peddling, attacking police officers, a Police Service of Northern Ireland station attack, a further pipe bomb attack and the murder of Andrew Burns in County Donegal on February 12 2008), [Citation
author-link = Independent Monitoring Commission
publication-date =
date =1 May 2008
year =
title =Eighteenth Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission
publication-place = London
place =
publisher = The Stationery Office
isbn = 978-0-10-295409-8
url =http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org/documents/uploads/18.%20Eighteenth%20Report.pdf
accessdate = 14 May 2008] the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, announced that he would seek in parliament for ÓnaÉ to be specified by order under the terms of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act, 1998. [cite hansard |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080514/debtext/80514-0001.htm|column=1370|house=House of Commons | date = 14 May, 2008]

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