Sinn Féin leader Ms Mary Lou McDonald has condemned the recent/latest US and Israeli strikes, calling them “an act of unprovoked military aggression” and urging a halt to military action and a return to diplomacy.
Wrapped in the sanctimony of condemning ‘unprovoked military aggression,’ Sinn Féin’s moral certainty jars with a past in which civilians were too often treated as collateral.
That phrase, “unprovoked military aggression”, is designed to do a lot of work in a very small space. It tells you who the villains are, who the victims are, and who holds the moral high ground. It’s a clean sentence. A righteous sentence. The kind of sentence that fits neatly into a clip for an evening news bulletin.
The problem for Sinn Féin is that Ireland’s memory is not short, clean and neat, and neither is modern Sinn Féin’s own history. Because, while Sinn Féin is a political party, it was long widely regarded as the political wing of the Provisional IRA, even if both have emphasized separateness since the 1990s. That association matters, not as a cheap talking point, but because it drags out a very specific set of ghosts into any conversation about violence and legitimacy. And those ghosts have names, dates, and places, where civilians paid the ultimate price.
Civilians in the crosshairs: Provisional IRA (PIRA)
If readers want to understand why some people hear “unprovoked aggression” and immediately wince; you don’t need to reach for ideology. You just need a calendar of factual events .
- 21st July 1972 – Belfast (“Bloody Friday”): 22 bombs in 75 minutes. 9 killed, around 130 seriously injured.
- 31st July 1972 – Claudy, Co. Londonderry (“Bloody Monday”): Three car bombs, 9 civilians killed, 30 injured.
- 17th February 1978 – La Mon House Hotel/Restaurant, near Comber, Co. Down: an incendiary device killed 12 and injured 30 in a restaurant setting.
- 27th August 1979 – Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo (Mountbatten assassination): a bomb on a boat killed four, including teenagers Nicholas Knatchbull (14yrs) and Paul Maxwell (15yrs).
- 8th November 1987 – Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh (Remembrance Day bombing): a bomb at a ceremony killed 11 people initially, most of them civilians.
- 20th March 1993 – Warrington, England: bombs in litter bins killed two children (Jonathan Ball, 3yrs; Tim Parry, 12) and injured 56 persons.
- 23rd October 1993 – Shankill Road, Belfast: a bomb detonated prematurely in a fish shop; 10 killed, including eight civilians and two children.
These aren’t “military operations.” They’re not “surgical strikes.” They’re the messy, brutal reality of what happens when violence is sold as strategy and civilians are treated as collateral, or as leverage.
So when Sinn Féin’s leader uses the language of moral clarity about foreign wars, people are entitled to ask: where was that clarity when Irish and British civilians were being blown apart in pubs, streets, shops, at ceremonies, and in restaurants? Again, ordinary people, normal venues, lives ended in pieces.
Real IRA: Omagh and the moral bankruptcy of “after”.
Then there’s Omagh, the moment that shattered any illusion that mass-casualty bombing belonged to the past.
15th August 1998 – Omagh, Co. Tyrone: the Real IRA bombing killed 29 and injured 200 plus.
Whatever someone wants to call it; be it ‘war’, ‘resistance’, ‘conflict’, Omagh made one thing undeniable; there is no political argument that redeems the slaughter of civilians in a town centre.
The point isn’t “whataboutism.” It’s credibility.
Defenders will say, “Sinn Féin today is not the Provisional IRA”. True, in the direct operational sense. But Sinn Féin can’t have it both ways, it can’t trade on a revolutionary heritage when it suits, then act offended when that heritage is raised as a moral mirror. Britannica’s phrasing is blunt for a reason: “Sinn Féin was long widely regarded as the political wing of the Provisional IRA”.
So yes, Ms McDonald can condemn foreign strikes as “unprovoked military aggression.”
But if Sinn Féin wants to speak like an international referee, it should expect people to replay their tapes, and on their tapes, watch as civilians scream, burn, bleed and die.
No, it’s not ancient history. No, it’s the price paid by ordinary people who never got to vote on anybody’s future “strategy.” And it’s why moral language, used cheaply, can sound less like principle, and more like a theatre performance, for the less informed.
“Unprovoked Military Aggression”, said Ms Mary Lou McDonald.
Let us take a look at Iran’s weapons support and who it armed, and roughly for how long, up until this year (2026).
Hezbollah (Lebanon): since1982 – (44 years).
Hamas + Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) associated with Sinn Féin: the former commonly described as armed/supported since the 1990s era – (30–36 years).
Major war-theater pipelines.
Houthis / Ansar Allah (Yemen): at least since 2014 (and UN panels have identified Iranian-origin missile/UAV remnants in Yemen) – (12+ years.)
Syrian government / pro-Assad forces: widely reported military support since 2011 – (15 years).
Newer state-to-state channel.
Russia: transfers tied to the Ukraine war since 2022; UK/France/Germany have publicly condemned Iran’s ballistic missile transfers – (4 years).
Hezbollah timeline:
1982: Hezbollah emerges, founded in the context of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon with Iranian support.
18th Apr 1983: U.S. Embassy bombing, Beirut: 63 killed. Frequently attributed in U.S. accounts to Hezbollah-linked networks / “Islamic Jihad Organization
23rd Oct 1983: U.S. Marine barracks bombing, Beirut: 241 U.S. service members killed.23rd Oct 1983: French paratrooper barracks bombing, Beirut: 58 French soldiers killed.
20th Sep 1984: U.S. Embassy annex bombing (Aukar), Beirut: 23 killed.
3rd Dec 1984: Kuwait Airways Flight 221 hijacking: 2 killed (two U.S. passengers murdered).
14th–30th Jun 1985: TWA Flight 847 hijacking (Athens): 1 killed (U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem).
12 Apr 1985: El Descanso restaurant bombing (Spain): 18 killed.
7th Mar 1992: Assassination of Ehud Sadan (Israeli Embassy security chief), Ankara: 1 killed, 3 injured; claimed by “Islamic Jihad Organization,” Hezbollah suspected/denied.
17th Mar 1992:Israeli Embassy bombing, Buenos Aires: 29 killed, 242 injured; claim of responsibility by “Islamic Jihad Organization,” which has been linked to Iran/Hezbollah in many accounts.
28th Jan 1993: Attempted murder of Jak Kamhi (prominent Turkish Jewish figure): shot and survived; discussed in intelligence/terrorism reporting as part of Iran/Hezbollah-linked activity.
17th Mar 1994: Attempted bombing of the Israeli Embassy, Bangkok: failed after suspects’ car crash; C4 reportedly found.
18th Jul 1994: AMIA bombing, Buenos Aires: 85 killed; widely attributed by Argentine judicial/official actions and major reporting to Hezbollah with Iranian backing, (Iran denies).
19th Jul 1994: Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 bombing (Panama): 21 killed; long unresolved, later treated publicly by U.S. sources as Hezbollah-linked.
Apr 1996: Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel (Grapes of Wrath period): Hezbollah fired Katyusha rockets; exact counts/precise injury figures vary by source.
25th Jun 1996: Khobar Towers bombing (Saudi Arabia): 19 killed; attribution often tied to Saudi Hezbollah/Hezbollah al-Hejaz, but it is politically disputed in some accounts.
7th Oct 2000: Abduction of three Israeli soldiers: abducted, later confirmed dead; remains returned in 2004 exchange.
14th Feb 2005: Assassination of Rafik Hariri (Beirut): 22 killed. International legal proceedings convicted Hezbollah members (in absentia), while also noting limits on proof regarding leadership direction.
12th Jul 2006: Cross-border raid: 8 Israeli soldiers killed, 2 captured; triggers the 2006 Lebanon War.
26th May 2011: Attempted assassination of Israel’s consul in Istanbul: some reporting ties it to Iran/Hezbollah; treated as alleged.
Feb 2012: India/Georgia diplomat attack attempts: widely discussed as an Iran-linked campaign, sometimes described as Iran/Hezbollah-linked.
2012: Bulgaria (Burgas) bus bombing: 6 killed (+ bomber); Bulgarian/EU assessments attributed involvement to Hezbollah operatives; Hezbollah denies.
2012: Azerbaijan plot against Israeli ambassador / Chabad-linked targets: widely described as Iran-linked; “Iran/Hezbollah” appears in some reporting/claims.
Apr 2014: Bangkok plot targeting Israeli tourists (Passover/Songkran period): Thai authorities arrested suspects described in reporting as Hezbollah members/agents.
May–Jun 2015: Cyprus ammonium nitrate seizure: Reuters reported Cyprus believed it foiled a major attack; Israel said it bore Hezbollah hallmarks.
2015: London-area ammonium nitrate cache, widely reported as a 2015 discovery later revealed publicly.
Nov 2023: Brazil: foiled plot targeting Jewish-linked sites: Brazilian federal police said suspects were recruited/funded by Hezbollah; treated as alleged pending full public case details.
27th Jul 2024: Majdal Shams (Golan Heights) strike: 12 killed; a rocket attack. Israel/U.S. blamed Hezbollah; Hezbollah denied responsibility.
So should the USA and Israel attack be therefore described as “Unprovoked Military Aggression”?
If a strike is responding to an armed attack carried out by an Iran-backed aggressor, supporters can surely argue that it’s actions are not “unprovoked.”
Fair play to you George, it’s an excellent breakdown of the reality. Mary Lou’s a joke. She was most likely stuffing her face with bonbons, Taytos and Eclairs from the tuckshop at her posh South Dublin school when Bobby Sands from working class Rathcoole was dying on hunger strike, yet she basically runs Sinn Fein North and South of the border with an iron bullying rod. If anyone doubts this, then they should go off and read Shane Ross’s excellent recent bio of her. Sinn Fein are as secretive at heart as were the IRA. I see the lady she so vigorously campaigned for in the recent election (where 13 percent of all votes were spoiled largely as a protest to denying the chance for other legitimate candidates to run) has now come out and parroted the same message and cribbing about the invasion of sovereign states. She wasn’t cribbing a few weeks ago when the same sovereign state killed 30,000 peaceful protesters. I presume she’ll have a bunch of her black shawled pals from the Claddagh up for an old time keening session in the Aras mourning the great and just Ayatollah. It’s amazing how much spoofery is tolerated in this country!
Just a few observations….
First, for reasons you have fully outlined, it may stick in the craw for many when Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald makes pronouncements such as describing the US/Israeli air strikes as “an act of unprovoked military aggression” but so too have others, notably the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
Secondly, again it’s true that Iran engages in acts of terrorism by proxy and that the Iranian state operates a regime that murders it’s own people with impunity but they don’t have a monopoly on this kind of enterprise……both the US and Israel have historically backed up and supported military dictatorships not just in their own sphere of influence but further afield – both in central latin America and south America…..Chile and Argentina spring to mind with thousands brutally tortured and murdered, or simply “disappeared” by those ruling regimes
Thirdly, whatever about unprovoked military aggression their actions are certainly unlawful….”Force is lawful, under the UN Charter, only in self defence against an imminent attack or with security council approval. Neither condition has been met” (Guardian Editorial 1st March)……this operation by the US and Israel talks about an existential threat, but has a similar vibe to that of the “weapons of mass destruction” stuff churned out during the Iraq war….and where were those weapons of mass destruction?
Finally, it’s difficult to side or have any respect with the US and Israel when you look at these countries respective leaders…..the US, led by a deranged, unhinged man child who only a matter of months ago thought he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize…..and who has now started murdering his own citizens legal and illegal through his ICE agents…..and of course there’s Netanyahu, who along with his Israeli government and armed forces are responsible for the crime of genocide that has taken place and continues to take place in Palestine…..and just as an aside this leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court for these war crimes.
Of course none of the latter matters anymore since no one respects the UN or the Geneva Convention – these days might is right. The reason why the US and Israel are bombing Iran is simply because they can.
Dennis,
Fair point about American interventionism abroad. It was why JFK wanted to dismantle the CIA but there’s a huge difference between WMD and nuclear capacity and nobody including the Iranians is disputing their uranium development. Is the behaviour or strategy of Iran at the moment, where hitting your neighbours including some who are even honest brokers for you, not enough to tell you that this is an unhinged morally bankrupt leadership that shouldn’t have any kind of ballistic capacity never mind a nuclear one. Bill Clinton had a chance to deal with North Korea over their nuclear programmes development in the 1990s but missed a golden opportunity that will never, ever come around again. Now, North Korea can’t be messed with at all. They are absolutely bullet proof. Would a bunch of religious fanatics with nuclear weapons not convince you that maybe Trump was right to go in whatever his motives? And if you are an Iranian under the subjugation of a regime that basically treats you like a child that has to obey you or face life altering consequences or worse, then you wouldn’t care a fig that the Donald was the person throwing you the lifebuoy for freedom. You’ve got Russia’s national Loser’s Loser, Daniil Medvedev, constantly threatening the destruction of the UK and even the world with their vast nuclear arsenal and he’s a former president. The USA is far from perfect but at least you can protest there. Try that in Tehran. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was screaming murderer at Donald Trump during his state of the union last week. Can you imagine anybody doing that in Iran or Russia?
Joe
You make some fair points too, but I stand by my main view point….these strikes were unlawful and now surprise surprise we have a situation that is escalating
Israel and the US have no plan beyond these strikes….that’s the problem….it’s easy starting wars, not so easy stopping them…..so what’s next…..no one seems to know……if they’re hoping to achieve regime change it will fail as have so many previous interventions Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Cuba.
No doubt the people of Iran want rid of their brutal regime but I don’t think the people are in a desperate hurry for for something set up by Israel and the U.S…….and even if they were able to initially set up some kind of government the risk of civil war will always be high.
Yes, it’s dangerous for fanatics – religious or otherwise to be in possession of nuclear weapons……Israel has them, and no one can tell me that it’s current leaders are not fanatics – have a read of Fintan O’Toole’s article in the Irish Times 24th Jan ’26…’Nuclear Weapons have been in the Middle East for decades – not in Iran, but in Israel”….of course no one but no one can criticise Israel without being accused of antisemitism or in reference to recent events ‘standing with Iran’….that’s what Israel has accused Spain’s PM of because he says no to war and has refused Trump’s request to use Spain as a base for Iran strikes
As for US democracy, it’s under huge threat….Trump didn’t seek permission from Congress for these strikes – he’s supposed to…….even the Pentagon told Congress that there was no sign that Iran was going to attack the US first…… …Trump does as he pleases and he strikes down any one who disagrees with him…….so, I wouldn’t be too complacent about shouting the odds for too much longer in the current U.S…… the only hope is that because of his age he won’t last forever.
We need peacemakers, international rules and agreements and leaders of substance and integrity…..remember we in the west are supposed to be the good guys – holding the higher moral ground etc …..but at present we’re in a dark place