The Provisional Irish Republican Army emerged in 1969 as an outgrowth of the Irish Republican Army (I.R.A), the organisation founded in the 1920s to fight for Irish independence. Following the creation of the Republic of Ireland in 1922, the I.R.A. called for the unification of the whole of Ireland, with Britain renouncing its claim on the Northern Irish province of Ulster.
Violence had always been part of the group's campaigns in London. In June 1922, Field Marshall Henry Wilson was murdered, and in February 1940, an I.R.A. bomb exploded in Euston Station, following a short-lived bombing campaign begun in 1939.
The campaign that started in the 1970s was more devastating.
On 31 October 1971, a bomb exploded at the Post Office tower (later the B.T. Tower). On 8 March 1973, four car bombs were placed around London. Two were defused but the others exploded, killing one person and injuring around 180 others. On 8 September, a bomb exploded at Victoria Station. Two days later, bombs at King's Cross and Euston Underground stations injured 21 people. Further bombs exploded at Oxford Street and Sloane Square 48 hours later.
On 17 June 1974, a bomb at the Houses of Parliament injured 11 people. On 17 July, a bomb at the Tower of London killed one person and injured 41 others. On 22 October, a bomb exploded at Brooks Club, London, whose members include retired British military officers. Three staff members were injured. On 22 December, a bomb exploded at the London home of Conservative leader Edward Heath.
On 5 September 1975, a bomb at the London Hilton killed two people and injured 63 others. On 29 January 1976, a series of bombs exploded in the West End at night, injuring one person.
On 30 March 1979, a car bomb killed Airey Neave, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, outside the House of Commons.
On 10 October 1981, a bomb at Chelsea Barracks killed two people and injured 40 others. On 26 October, a bomb in Oxford Street killed the bomb disposal officer who was trying to defuse it. On 20 July 1982, two bombs exploded at Hyde Park and Regent's Park less than two hours apart, killing 11 people and injuring 50 others. On 17 December 1983, a bomb exploded outside Harrods during the busy pre-Christmas shopping period, killing six people and injuring up to 90.
On 20 July 1990, a bomb exploded at the London Stock Exchange. On 18 February 1991, a bomb at Victoria station killed one person and injured 38 others. On 7 February 1991 that year, members of the British Cabinet and the prime minister came under mortar attack during a Cabinet session at Number 10 Downing Street.
On 28 February 1992, a bomb exploded at London Bridge station, injuring 29 people. On 10 April, a large bomb exploded in St Mary Axe, killing three people and injuring 91 others. The Baltic Exchange building was later demolished. On 12 October, a bomb in the men's toilet of the Sussex Arms public house in Covent Garden killed one person and injured four others.
On 24 April 1993 a large truck bomb exploded at Bishopsgate, killing one person and injuring some 40 others. The medieval St Ethelburga's Church and Liverpool Street Underground station were destroyed.
March 1994 saw three unsuccessful mortar attacks on Heathrow Airport over a five-day period. The I.R.A. agreed to an indefinite ceasefire in August 1994, but this was suspended in December 1995 when Sinn Fein was excluded from political talks.
On 10 February 1996, a truck bomb exploded at South Quay, near Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs. Two people were killed and 40 others injured.
The ceasefire was restored in July 1997 when Sinn Fein was admitted to the 'Peace Process'. However, the end of armed hostilities did not please everyone. In 2000, the Real I.R.A, an Irish republican splinter group opposed to the I.R.A's ceasefire, began a new series of attacks on London targets.
On 28 July 2005, the I.R.A's Army Council announced an end to its armed campaign. The I.R.A. decommissioned its arms between July and September 2005.
