10PM UK time, 5PM New York, 2PM Los Angeles
From the article:
The deputy chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland: a car that exploded outside Dunmurry police station had been “hijacked” in a way that bore [similarities to an attack on Lurgan police station](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/31/lurgan-county-armagh-gunmen-delivery-driver-suspected-bomb?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other) on 31 March.
Detectives said they believed the New IRA was involved and are treating it as attempted murder.
Residents including two babies were evacuated from nearby properties and no one was harmed in the explosion.
—
[New Irish Republican Army](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Irish_Republican_Army) is a continuation of the [IRA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Republican_Army), seeking unification of British-governed Northern Ireland with the rest of the Irish republic.
The ‘original’ 20th century IRA fought the British in guerrilla warfare, and played a role in negotiating the independence of most of Ireland. By the 1920s its fractions split in two, leading to [a civil war](https://www.britannica.com/event/Irish-Civil-War) (1922-3) which was mainly army versus paramilitary casualties, but also 336 civilians.
Another burst of violence came in 1969 with the [Provisional IRA](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-49299060), again aiming to end British rule in Northern Ireland and unify the island, leading to a period what is, in a standard British fashion, officially referred to as ‘[The Troubles](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-records-relating-to-the-troubles-published-by-the-national-archives)’. Around 3500 were killed, 50% civilians. Its context is well-covered by Patrick Radden Keefe (the author of Empire of Pain) in his book [Say Nothing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_Nothing_(book)), and by [The Times in their investigation of the Poppy Day Bombing.](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/seventeen-years-the-andrew-malkinson-story-times/id1630722986)
Neither side was winning, in 1994 a ceasefire was declared. In 1998, the power-sharing [Good Friday Agreement](https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/role-policies/northern-ireland/about-the-good-friday-agreement/) was signed.
New IRA emerged around 2012, from groups that disagreed with the ceasefire, and was [classified as a terrorist group](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-ira-and-suspected-terror-facilitator-sanctioned) by the UK govt in November 2025.
66
Princess_and_a_wench1 day ago
+10
Im curious what “ in standard British fashion” means in reference to the British calling it the troubles. Do the Irish refer to it as something else? Genuinely asking.
10
goddamnitwhalen1 day ago
+29
I think the joke here is that the British are often fond of understatement.
29
Beleriphon1 day ago
+8
The British defined a multi-decade campaign of terrorism and misery, from both sides, as The Troubles. Losing your job, your dog dying, your spouse wanting a divorce, and your car breaking down all in the same is The Troubles for most people.
8
fatbob421 day ago
+2
I always thought that phrase came from the people in NI.
2
QARSTAR9 hr ago
+1
What's the purpose of the Los Angeles time? Is Hollywood helping or something?
1
wasraelx8 hr ago
+1
No, just most of Listnook is US-based and this is from a British newspaper obv, so I wanted to add the time stamps when it happened right after so people wouldn’t have to do the time conversions themselves individually x
1
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+1332
anyone else have The Troubles II on their bingo card for 2026? i didn’t
1332
GiohmsBiggestFan1 day ago
+501
Something comparable happens every year or two. Usually these new IRA dickheads. They don't have the public support that made the troubles possible for the provisional IRA
501
Nadamir1 day ago
+316
To quote my auntie: “I’m not worrying til the fifth car bomb in a year.”
No, I don’t know why 5 is the number she chose.
But yeah, people don’t get this is kinda par for the course in Belfast. We’re not going back to the 90s just yet and certainly not to the late 60s and early 70s.
316
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+211
"I don't know why 5 is the number she chose"
Well I mean, one of two could just be personal, who hasn't seen the occasional "divorce car bombing"
And obviously if you're waiting for the 7th or 8th, well that's far too many, far too late
5 is a nice, solid, "shite is serious" number
211
usemyfaceasaurinal1 day ago
+17
What’s a bit of car bombing among neighbours?
17
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+25
When I set off fireworks to announce the birth of my child, nobody bats an eye
But when it's to announce my resignation from my job, everyone goes crazy
25
Nadamir1 day ago
+48
I think my number is three.
But then again, I’m a soft Southerner.
48
TurnipGirlDesi1 day ago
+56
3 is just a bit odd, 4 is getting into strange territory, but 5? In a year? Yeah, I’d say that’s a worrying amount.
56
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+45
1 alerts the garda, 2 is when the investigation is in progress, 3 tells you the task force is still catching up
4 and 5, well now you know the group is organized and the authorities can't stop it
45
3lminst3r1 day ago
+9
The Garda is in The Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland it’s the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), better known as Peelers.
9
tonitalksaboutit1 day ago
+15
3 is just the start of a pattern. "2 is a coincidence, 3 is a pattern" as the saying goes. 5 seems like a reasonable number.
15
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+9
It also depends on whether you're looking at a calendar year or a 12 month rolling summary
I mean, we get 4 car bombings across 2025, you're gonna look into it
You get 3 car bombings across December 24th, 25th, and 26th, maybe you should get on that shit
9
Shiplord131 day ago
+21
I mean that actually makes sense, considering that its been like almost 20 years since the IRA had stopped such things. So all these new guys are just the young extremists who probably are disillusioned with the older generation that put down the weapons and stopped with the desire to use political means to get what they want. With it even likely that these new guys are very small minority and unlikely to get the backing from the rest of the population.
21
postonrddt1 day ago
young extremists...
But where did they get their views from and why didn't the younger generation accept prior agreements or there were a few decades of peace.
0
Psychological-Sun491 day ago
+6
I don’t know if this is related, but I have seen more posts on instagram glorifying the latter days of the IRA, and some of their more awful actions in the 90’s. I I understand there are people who still want freedom from the Brits, but the takes are really bad. One creator criticized Dolores O'Riordan for being sick of violence and writing *Zombie*, kind of missing the point, saying it her stance was wrong and anti-revolutionary.
I can’t help but wonder if there are foreign agitators behind this.
6
L_Cranston_Shadow1 day ago
There's a solution, although I wouldn't call it an easy one. Lock representatives from the ROI and NI in a room to work out a plan for how reunification would work after the border poll passes, then publish the plan and call the damn border poll. There is popular support for reunification, the main issues preventing it at this point are functional, not ideological. Once people know there is a plan and what it is, there should easily be the required majority to pass it.
0
fatbob421 day ago
+6
Why do you think such a referendum would pass? None of the election results or polls indicate it (yet) do they?
6
L_Cranston_Shadow23 hr ago
The polls I can find have support over 50% (predictably) in the Republic of Ireland, and in the 30-40% range in Northern Ireland. Some issues will continue to be an impediment to support, like not wanting to give up British culture or the NHS, and any solution will have opponents. Most issues, though, such as whether the six counties that now make up Northern Ireland will have devolved powers, be folded into the existing system, and/or how long any transition period would be, are eminently resolvable. There is no reason to think that once a plan of action is agreed to and put forth to the public that support won't rise above 50% at that point.
0
fatbob4223 hr ago
+1
It would be great if Ireland would flesh out their proposal and try to convince the unionists but it’s far from “no reason to think”.
It is encouraging for reunification that they’re now talking about “normal” stuff like the NHS rather than religion.
1
wasraelx1 day ago
+153
Honestly at this point I’ve got f****** everything that can go wrong on my 2026 bingo card.
153
Ranger73811 day ago
+67
“General arm waving“ is the middle square
67
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+14
"don't look up" is mine
14
ailish1 day ago
+4
That's one of my bingo choices, too.
4
schu4KSU1 day ago
+43
With as effective social media is at encouraging sectarian violence, I’m surprised it took this long.
43
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+18
i'm in the US so my perspective is that social media tends to encourage a larger number of lone wolves to commit acts of violence rather than an entire sect. have you noticed something different in Ireland or the UK?
18
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+25
In the US you get a mix of lone wolves because there isn't an actual Antifa/Pro-fa" organization you can easily jump into
The Irish Republican Army is a place where you can be angry with the support of other angry people
25
cyanescens_burn1 day ago
+7
The fbi would disagree about the right wing extremist groups here. Though the new administration has been trying to scrub those studies from the Internet, and cease the investigations. For some reason they are cool with armed extremists groups as long as they are right wing and only hurt the “right” people.
7
jagdpanzer451 day ago
+15
I mean there are a number of pro-fa organizations one can join in the US. Heck, our oldest terrorist org is not necessarily powerful but noticeably still there in the form of the KKK.
15
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+8
Sure, but the IRA isn't the same vibe at all as the Proud Boys
8
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+3
i'd think a lot of that is because the Proud Boys are simply trying to maintain the white supremacist status quo in the US whereas the IRA were/are guerillas fighting the Brits
3
Confident-Beyond68571 day ago
+4
We have a Pro-Fa organization, we call it "Republicans". Pretty easy to join actually.
4
lostroadrunner221 day ago
+40
Do we get more Derry Girls at least ?
40
Arthur_Frane1 day ago
+14
Best we can do is How to get to Heaven from Belfast. Not bad so far (only up to ep 2 in my watch)
14
TrashPandaHobbit1 day ago
+3
Stopped watching after episode 4
3
Nadamir1 day ago
+20
I did. Ever since Brexit, really.
But, this is pretty common, isolated car bombs or sectarian killings. There’s probably at least one or two a year. It probably won’t grow into Troubles 2: Electric Boogaloo.
20
Dan_Berg1 day ago
+4
I did, but it was a reboot set in the US
4
helpnxt1 day ago
+29
Honestly with Brexit and Boris/May just kinda ignoring that Northern Ireland exists and a border will be needed it was kinda inevitable to start kicking stuff off again.
29
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+20
i remember thinking this during Brexit and was wondering why things weren't happening earlier
20
caiaphas81 day ago
+11
Brexit really hasn’t changed day to day life much, nothing is gonna happen in Northern Ireland
11
toorigged2fail1 day ago
+3
FARC and the Basquess next even
3
_you_are_the_problem1 day ago
+3
Yes, but in America.
3
SummerGoal1 day ago
+3
The world was just too calm so something like this was bound to happen
3
cyanescens_burn1 day ago
+3
I have an American version of it on mine.
3
SecondChances0021 day ago
+2
Bingo card? I thought it was all internet betting on these things now.
2
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+4
yet another reason why this timeline is terrible
4
MrWeirdoFace1 day ago
+4
I was under the impression that had ended a while back. That said I also thought the western world had largely moved on from fascism and the cold war was over. So...
4
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+4
the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 more or less settled things in Northern Ireland, so you'd be right to think that. but then Brexit happened, so
4
BringTheFingerBack1 day ago
+12
Catholics who joined the police were targeted up until around 2008/9. Also the masserene army barracks attack which killed 2 army personal and injured several including a dominos pizza delivery driver in 2008.
12
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+8
my impression though was that public opinion turned pretty solidly against the IRA after the Omagh bombing, enough to condition the people of both Ireland and the UK in favor of a security/surveillance state (coincidentally just in time for the US's bullshit "War on Terror")
i'm in the US and i don't know anywhere nearly enough about the Troubles as i should (especially since family of mine left County Antrim a hundred or so years ago for the US) so i expect to be corrected
edited because i forgot a word
8
rupturefunk1 day ago
+4
It's never really ended completely, just on a much smaller scale with less people, resources and community support than the Provisionals.
4
Department-of-Wario1 day ago
+2
I vote we call it the double trouble.
2
HucksterFab1 day ago
+2
Everything old is new again
2
Daitheflu19791 day ago
+2
The Troubles II - Electric Boogaloo
2
Secret_Cow_50531 day ago
+5
Somehow, the IRA returned.
5
Jeffrey_C_Wheaties1 day ago
+6
Never went away
6
BringTheFingerBack1 day ago
+8
Gerry speaking for the IRA, having never been in the IRA.
8
fartingbeagle1 day ago
+2
"They haven't gone away, you know " .
2
Secret_Cow_50531 day ago
-2
It’s a star wars meme
-2
tommycahil19951 day ago
+4
Nah not happening. Republicans are in power in the North, Ireland is moving towards unification. New IRA is very fringe and won't ever get popular support.
The context of the Trouble so different. Catholic civil rights marches put down by British forces. Northern Ireland basically existing only to serve the protestants and British. Catholics having next to no representation in their power structures of society. Americans and Irish in the south way more supportive of the fight.
4
SitInCorner_Yo21 day ago
+1
I double checked if I read it right, because someone in IR**S** going nuts makes way more sense in 2026 the the f****** Troubles making a comeback .
1
southarmaghbrigayde13 hr ago
+1
NIRA do shows of force semi-regularly. They’re a relatively small undisciplined group. This is big international news now, but I do wonder how much of an escalation it actually is practically vs the regular random shit they be up to. Certainly this is the most attention they’ve gotten since the Lyra McKee death.
1
PigFarmer11 day ago
+1
I have King Donnie solving them in 1 day on my card. 👍
1
d0ctorzaius1 day ago
+6
You jest, but his big brain idea this St Paddy's day was "why not merge the two Irelands? It's one island"
6
goddamnitwhalen1 day ago
+3
Something something stopped clocks
3
SatiesUmbrellaCloset1 day ago
+5
he'll claim victory, as always, and leave a bigger mess than it was to begin with
5
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+303
The "New" IRA?
"On 26 July 2012, it was reported that Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) and other small republican militant groups were merging with the Real IRA. As before, the group would continue to refer to itself as "the Irish Republican Army".
Wow, I had no idea.
Guess we need to watch MADD lest they become part of "the new weather underground"
303
wasraelx1 day ago
+73
They formed around 2012 as a merger of other groups (which was the case for IRA in general). Still the same goals except of course they additionally reject the peace agreement.
Declared a [terrorist group by the UK govt](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-ira-and-suspected-terror-facilitator-sanctioned) in November 2025.
73
Individual_Bear_31901 day ago
+26
You mean that's not a retirement account I've been contributing to???
26
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+9
Somebody's retirement account o.~
9
Much_Guest_71951 day ago
+48
>Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD)
I often wondered why I haven't heard of vigilante groups attacking drug dealers/users. Turns out the Irish did it, but it just involves violent psychopath characters, not unlike vigilante anti-pedo groups.
48
salizarn1 day ago
+27
It’s because they don’t want *other people* selling drugs
27
Fallouttgrrl1 day ago
+30
Wait until you hear about, and then dive into, "Skinheads against racial prejudice"
Working class heroes
30
Wolfwoods_Sister1 day ago
+45
Skins were initially punks and their style got hijacked by Nazi dipshits bc Nazi dipshits gotta steal and ruin everything.
45
Abba_Fiskbullar1 day ago
+23
I knew some SHARPs back in the '80s, and they were violent, drug dealing, sex trafficking dickheads who just happened to have a few black and Mexican members.
23
Much_Guest_71951 day ago
+10
I actually knew one of those. Kind of a dipshit/seemed like more of a cosplayer, but I agreed with most of his politics.
10
Looksis21 hr ago
+2
Most of the time with groups like that, it's not morally righteous do-gooders looking to improve the local area, it's violent dickheads looking for socially acceptable targets to attack.
2
goddamnitwhalen1 day ago
+5
This is a gag in *Kneecap* (2024).
5
Dan_Berg1 day ago
+6
You always had to keep an eye out on the straight edge kids. If they didn't turn into junkies themselves they could get pretty radicalized
6
TrashPandaHobbit1 day ago
+5
Republican Action Against Drugs (that we haven't sold ye)
5
spleeble1 day ago
+1
MADD is more like COINTELPRO. They got a federal law passed requiring AI driver impairment detection in all new vehicles starting next year.
1
Confident-Beyond68571 day ago
+49
So instead of the good stuff, we''re getting the worst parts of the 80s/90s back.
49
JustWordsSnowflake1 day ago
+10
This could just be isolated. I don’t see enough community support for a proper IRA resurgence. It was put to bed at least and have peace to Northern Ireland.
That said, who f****** knows anymore. The world’s gone mad. I don’t feel safe anywhere anymore.
10
Confident-Beyond68571 day ago
+3
Everything just sucks now. Like literally everything. We need a reboot.
3
AcceptableReview38461 day ago
+1
Nah something like this happens every couple of years there is no support for the new IRA anywhere either side of the border the troubles won't be starting again
1
twec2116 hr ago
+1
Apparently Chernobyl's radiation shield damage is way worse than expected too
The Mets could at least not suck
1
woodpaulusgnome1 day ago
+90
So the criminals who hijacked the car who detectives believe are members of the New IRA a republican/nationalist leaning movement are targeting people from the Twinbrook area of West Belfast, which by coincidence tends to be a republican/nationalist leaning community are shitting on their own doorstep.
90
philman1321 day ago
+12
They are targeting the police there, most IRA activity in the last 20 years or so has been against Catholics who join the police force or other NI government institutions, seen as "traitors". The various factions of the IRA have mostly devolved into violent drug gangs anyway nowadays.
12
woodpaulusgnome1 day ago
+1
Most of paramilitary gangs that are dealing narcotics, loan sharking and intimidating communities are from the PUL community not the Republican/Nationalist/Catholic community in my experience. The RA disbanded.
1
Mrsynthpants1 day ago
-13
Russians? They do that kind of stuff in their own country.
-13
PanNationalistFront1 day ago
+24
People in this thread really don’t understand NI it seems.
24
fartingbeagle1 day ago
+15
I swear to you, people living in NI don't understand NI either.
15
Adventurous-Start8741 day ago
+61
IRA enters the 2026 chat
61
ChankiriTreeDaycare1 day ago
+18
They finally stopped using IRC
18
wasraelx1 day ago
+9
We got a new iranian leader, and we got a new IRA.
Honestly just season finale where the writers are bringing up whatever shit they can think of.
9
Total_Drongo_Moron1 day ago
+8
In 1981, the Iranian Government renamed a street in Tehran from Winston Churchill Boulevard to Bobby Sands Street.
8
goddamnitwhalen1 day ago
+3
That’s so sick.
3
temujin941 day ago
+6
I know the leader of the new IRA, the guy was a barman in a dive bar, they're not sending their best. Which is why they were all caught planning terrorist activities in a bugged apartment in Edinburgh.
6
ar34m4n31418 hr ago
+2
Is Roth IRA also affected?
2
mobby1231 day ago
+24
Par for the course. There's been bombs intermittently up North. There's splinter groups across the spectrum that reject the Peace process. Doesn't mean the Troubles are back. No public support or desire.
24
FOARP1 day ago
+8
A lot of people on this thread are saying there is little support for the RIRA, which is true.
But most people in NI never supported the PIRA the first time round either. Only a minority did, but this was enough to sustain a low-level insurgency.
\~60% of the population are protestants who wanted none of Republicanism anyway. Of the remaining \~40%, most voted for the non-violent republican SDLP or similar. It's only post-GFA that Sinn Fein was able to replace SDLP exactly because they had given up violence.
8
OldAccountIsGlitched1 day ago
+8
>~60% of the population are protestants who wanted none of Republicanism anyway
Before the gfa the various unionist militias were also damn violent. Obviously it was also only a tiny minority of that 60%. But the situation was more complicated than most people seem to remember.
8
Nabs-21 day ago
+54
Enter the Americans who suddenly love terrorism when the bomber is Irish
54
oreography1 day ago
+18
"You know I'm half terrorist on my father's side. My ancestors were making car bombs just like you."
18
FOARP1 day ago
+14
The most ridiculous North American pro-IRA poster I can recall was someone who banged on about how the "Brits" were "colonizers" who deserved to get "car-bombed".
Reader, they were a very white girl living in Vancouver. Apparently its not being a "colonizer" if the place you colonised is in North America.
And yes, these guys would be calling for the death penalty if anyone tried this stuff in their neighbourhoods, but when its actual people on the island of Ireland who are going to get torn limb-from-limb, suddenly it's OK for plastic Irish to cosplay at being the Ra.
14
Rare_Trouble_46301 day ago
+3
Ah shit here we go again
3
MarketCrache1 day ago
+6
My first awareness of the IRA was hearing about them blowing up Lord Mountbatten on his yacht. It wasn't until decades later I learned Mountbatten was a prevalent and habitual child molester (primarily of Irish orphans) but the BBC played it to the hilt portraying the IRA as fanatical lunatics.
6
Senanb1 day ago
+4
The first incident I remember was when they puts bombs in public bins and blew them up killing 2 children. It was the song that the Cranberries wrote Zombie for.
4
GreaterAttack18 hr ago
+1
Those are unfounded and ridiculous accusations.
1
000ArdeliaLortz0001 day ago
+11
Can we just not do this again? 🫤
11
Ryno4ever161 day ago
-25
Can the Irish have their country back?
-25
FOARP1 day ago
+16
They literally held a vote on the present peace-deal. \*94%\* of people in the Republic of Ireland voted for it. 71% of people in Northern Ireland voted for it.
But sure, they need people like you to tell them how the place they live in should be run.
16
Nabs-21 day ago
+37
Do the Northern Irish get no say?
37
Halfdaykid1 day ago
+14
NI exists for a reason and im quite happy being British. Thanks for your concern though.
14
Badger_Solomon1 day ago
Are you on holiday?
0
BringTheFingerBack1 day ago
-6
Sinn fein are currently running the show.
-6
BlunterCarcass51 day ago
+7
When I said "take me back to the 90s" this isn't what I meant
7
[deleted]1 day ago
+10
[removed]
10
Mackey_Corp1 day ago
+4
Ah playing the classics I see…
4
Simple_Project46051 day ago
Ah war in the Middle East, Troubles 2.0, and a tech bubble about to burst and make the poors much poorer.
I feel like I’m in the 90s again. Brb dusting off my walkman
0
AdStrange97011 day ago
+1
Bombs in Belfast?? I'm only 160km away in Dublin. Might be time to get the atlas out and find somewhere nice to "claim asylum".
1
rexepic75671 day ago
-1
Ah shit here we go again
-1
JamCom1 day ago
+1
It looks like those threats were in fact legitimate
1
werealldeadramones1 day ago
-12
And yet all the comments and interviews come from Northern Ireland politicians and no comment from any other entities outside the Imperial counties. Curious.
-12
FOARP1 day ago
+10
It's almost like.... Northern Irish people care about Northern Ireland and are the people whose views about what happens in Northern Ireland are the the most important.
Strange, I know.
10
caiaphas81 day ago
+10
Imperial counties? What are you talking about? Why is that curious?
10
[deleted]1 day ago
-1
[removed]
-1
Nabs-21 day ago
+7
Well, they are terrorists, not exactly good people.
7
[deleted]1 day ago
-18
[deleted]
-18
gloomycloud1 day ago
+4
You think Northern Ireland is occupied by... the English?
4
nonoen721 day ago
-7
Días sin que se cree un nuevo IRA:0
-7
KrasnayaGvardiya1 day ago
-12
Welp, here we go again.
-12
DifferentEvent29981 day ago
-20
Oh look, Christian terrorism.
-20
caiaphas81 day ago
+7
This has nothing to do with Christianity
7
throwawayaccount_usu1 day ago
+2
Religion plays no factor lmao
2
lilbro931 day ago
-9
Gerry Adams has always denied being a member of the IRA or participating in any IRA-related violence.
-9
venom2591 day ago
-14
Strike up the band people we got more banger Irish songs coming.
145 Comments