Peace process in crisis - IRA’s ‘pilot light’ was left running

FORMER Justice Minister Michael McDowell may have taken many ordinary Irish citizens by surprise by revealing that the total abolition of the IRA was never part of the Northern Ireland peace process.

The opinion of both British and Irish governments ten years ago was that it was preferable for the IRA to remain as an inert organisation than to allow dissident republicans to assert itself as the Provos’ legitimate heir.

In that, they were aided by the then DUP leader Ian Paisley who said he would have no trouble if the IRA continued to exist as a harmless ‘old boys’ club. But does it?