Joe Cahill - Founding The Provisional IRA

Founding The Provisional IRA

In 1969, Cahill was a key figure in founding the Provisional Irish Republican Army. In the Northern Ireland riots of August 1969, Cahill, along with Billy McKee, tried to defend the Catholic Clonard area from attack, but was unable to prevent Bombay Street being burned by loyalists. When he subsequently tried to organise the defence of the Ballymurphy area, he was initially chased away by the nationalist residents, who were unimpressed with the IRA's response to the events of August 1969.

Angry at the failure of the IRA, led in Belfast by Billy McMillen, to defend Catholic areas during this rioting, Cahill and McKee stated in September 1969 that they would no longer be taking orders from the IRA leadership in Dublin, or from McMillen. In December 1969, they declared their allegiance to the Provisional IRA, who split off from the leadership. This action took 9 out of the 13 units of the IRA in Belfast into the PIRA. The remnants of the pre-split IRA became known as the Official IRA. Joe Cahill served on the first Provisional IRA Army Council.