Official IRA hands over weapons

The Official IRA (OIRA) confirmed on Monday that it had handed its weapons over to the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD).

The announcement came on the same day that the INLA announced that it had destroyed its weaponry. The INLA was spawned from a split in the OIRA. In turn the Official IRA had emerged from a split within the IRA in 1969 that saw the creation of the Provisional IRA (PIRA).

The OIRA announced a ceasefire in 1972 after coming under public pressure to quit its activities following the murder of Ranger Best, a soldier who hailed from Londonderry. However, other factors involved were a desire by the OIRA to pursue socialist politics to achieve its aims and that the PIRA had become numerically superior.

It is believed the move by the OIRA came as legislation allowing the destruction of paramilitary weapons without fear of prosecution expired yesterday, February 9, 2010.

The OIRA become known as the 'Stickies' because they sold their Easter Lillies in a self-adhesive version as opposed to the traditional method of using a pin preferred by the Provisionals. The OIRA are thought to have been responsible for around 50 murders in the early days of the Troubles. Whilst it declared a ceasfire in 1972, it is generally accepted that the OIRA continued to operate well into the 1980's.