Billy Mc Millen - Split in The IRA, Confrontation With The British Army

Split in The IRA, Confrontation With The British Army

In September, McMillen called a meeting of IRA commanders in Belfast. Billy McKee and several other republicans arrived at the meeting armed and demanded McMillen's resignation. He refused, but many of those unhappy with his leadership broke away and refused to take orders from McMillen or the Dublin IRA leadership. Most of them joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army, when this group split off from the IRA in December 1969. McMillen himself remained loyal to the IRA's Dublin leadership, which became known as the Official IRA. The split rapidly developed into a bitter rivalry between the two groups.

In April 1970, McMillen was shot and wounded by Provisional IRA members in the Lower Falls area of Belfast.

In June 1970, McMillen's Official IRA had their first major confrontation with the British Army, which had been deployed to Belfast in the previous year, in an incident known as the Falls Curfew. The Army mounted an arms search in the Official IRA stronghold of the Lower Falls, where they were attacked with a grenade by Provisional IRA members. In response, the British flooded the area with troops and declared a curfew. This led to a three day gun battle between 80-90 Official IRA members led by MacMillen and up to 3000 British troops. Five civilians were killed in the fighting and about 60 wounded. In addition 35 rifles, 6 machine guns, 14 shotguns, grenades, explosives and 21,000 rounds of ammunition, all belonging to the OIRA, were seized. McMillen blamed the Provisionals for instigating the incident and then refusing to help the Officials against the British.

This ill-feeling eventually led to an all out feud between the republican factions in Belfast in March 1971. The Provisionals attempted to kill McMillen again, and his second in command Jim Sullivan. In retaliation, McMillen had Charlie Hughes, a young PIRA member killed and Tom Cahill, brother of leading Provisional Joe Cahill was also shot and wounded. After these deaths, the two IRA factions in Belfast negotiated a ceasefire and directed their attention instead at the British Army in the city.