Leadership failings: the Irish republican socialist party, the Irish national liberation army and the Irish people’s liberation organisation, 1974–1992

This paper analyses leadership in the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the Irish National Liberation Army, and the Irish People’s Liberation Organisation, 1974–1992. All three organisations emerged from the Official IRA and the split it underwent at the end of 1969. This paper is the first study of its kind, analysing these three organisations from a leadership perspective, using an established theory, the Full Range Leadership Model. The paper applies its theoretical model to the history of the three organisations, expressed through their recorded activities; through publications they produced; through research articles and other sources on The Troubles in Northern Ireland; and through relevant literature on terrorism. The paper argues that leadership failures were significant in the failure of these organisations to build support: leadership failings contributed to their eventual demise. Political leaders failed to set clear direction and exert control over their paramilitary followers, a fault line which was present from the very outset of these organisations’ existence. The paper is important because the Irish National Liberation Army and Irish People’s Liberation Organisation were significant actors in The Troubles: their aims, strategies and tactics have been subject to little examination thus far in the academic journal literature.