Arms transfers to the Irish Republican Army

Abstract

This thesis describes the arms transfer relationships of a non-governmental organization, the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Open source information is used to develop models of munitions, financial and training relationships. These models are then explained in terms of (1) systemic influences, (2) supplier rationales, objectives and interests, and (3) recipient demand factors. Finally, the implications of these relationships are briefly addressed in the summary and conclusions. The closing section also includes suggestions for future research, based upon an assessment of (1) possible sources of detailed arms transfer data, and (2) methodological challenges. (Author)