‘It was networking, all networking’: the Irish republican movement's survival in Cold War America

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the Irish Republican movement's public fundraising arm on US soil, the Irish Northern Aid Committee (Noraid), which operated as a legal organisation during Northern Ireland's ‘Troubles’ (1969–1998). In its efforts to fundraise for the families of republican prisoners, Noraid faced formidable impediments from above (government suppression) and below (the dissipation of Irish communities). How Noraid survived for the conflict's duration (and beyond) given these dual challenges poses a puzzle. This study finds that Noraid's longevity lies in its network-building strategies at the interpersonal and organisational levels in the 1970s and 1980s. The research points to the importance of disaggregating diaspora communities as they relate to armed conflict. It also draws attention to how government policies shape movement strategy; how social networks enable or deter resource mobilisation; and how leadership can build grassroots and organisational relationships to serve the rebel cause.