What was the Irish republican army goals?

Answer 1

Which Irish Republican Army? The IRA under Michael Collins had the goal of securing the independence of Ireland from Britain, and establishing Ireland as a Republic. The Provisional IRA, Continuity IRA, Real IRA, Irish National Liberation Army, etc. had the goal of trying to force the six counties of Northern Ireland into a union with the rest of Ireland. It should be noted the majority in Northern Ireland remain opposed to union with the Republic of Ireland, and that talk of a "reunified" Ireland is utter nonsense, as Ireland was never unified to begin with.

Answer 2

Well, there have been several factions known as the Irish Republican Army. The Irish Republican Army was originally headed by Michael Collins, with the intent of expelling the British out of Ireland, and establishing a Socialist Republic. When the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, Ireland became established as a Free State, and the British maintained control of six counties in Ulster. Some of those who had previously been members of the Irish Republican Army supported the treaty and the free state, and others did not, seeing the treaty as a betrayal of the goals of establishing an Irish republic (most notably, Eamon de Valeria). Thus, a civil war ensued, and the faction which resisted the Free State and the Anglo-Irish Treaty carried the name of Irish Republican Army with them, with their goal being to overthrow the Free State government to establish Ireland as a Republic, reject the ceding of the six counties to the British, and ultimately force those six counties into capitulation with the Irish Republic they intended to establish. The Free State Forces one, although a rewriting of their constitution ultimately did establish Ireland as a republic (albeit not exactly the one de Valeria and others had in mind).

Factions since then have professed the same goals, but really do little more than engage in sectarian violence and murder.