Editing Real Irish Republican Army (section)

==Origins==
In July 1997, the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|Provisional IRA]] called a ceasefire. On 10 October 1997, a Provisional IRA General Army Convention was held in [[Falcarragh]], County Donegal. At the convention, [[IRA Quartermaster General|Provisional IRA Quartermaster General]] [[Michael McKevitt]]—also a member of the 12-person Provisional IRA Executive—denounced the leadership and called for an end to the group's ceasefire and to its participation in the [[Northern Ireland peace process]]. He was backed by his partner and fellow Executive member [[Bernadette Sands McKevitt]]. The two dissidents were outmanoeuvred by the leadership and were left isolated.<ref name="Harnden">{{cite book |last=Harnden |first=Toby |author-link=Toby Harnden |title=Bandit Country |publisher=[[Hodder & Stoughton]] |year=1999 |pages=429–431 |isbn=0-340-71736-X}}</ref><ref name="English">{{cite book |last=English |first=Richard |author-link=Richard English |title=Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA |publisher=[[Pan Books]] |year=2003 |isbn=0-330-49388-4}}</ref>{{rp|296}} The convention backed the pro-ceasefire line, and on 26 October McKevitt and Sands McKevitt resigned from the Executive along with other members.<ref name="Mooney">{{cite book |last1=Mooney |first1=John |last2=O'Toole |first2=Michael |title=Black Operations: The Secret War Against the Real IRA |publisher=Maverick House |year=2004 |isbn=0-9542945-9-9}}</ref>{{rp|33}}

In November 1997, McKevitt and other dissidents held a meeting in a farmhouse in [[Oldcastle, County Meath]], and a new organisation, styling itself ''Óglaigh na hÉireann'', was formed.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|38–39}} The organisation attracted disaffected Provisional IRA members from the republican stronghold of South [[County Armagh|Armagh]], as well as [[Dublin]], [[Belfast]], Limerick, Tipperary, [[County Louth]], County Tyrone and [[County Monaghan]].<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|47}}<ref name="Janes1">{{cite journal |last=Boyne |first=Sean |date=24 August 1998 |title=The Real IRA: after Omagh, what now? |url=http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir980824_1_n.shtml |journal=[[Jane's Intelligence Review]] |location=London |publisher=[[Jane's Information Group]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025035213/http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir980824_1_n.shtml |archive-date=25 October 2007 |access-date=16 July 2007}}</ref>

The name "Real IRA" entered common usage when in early 1998 members set up a roadblock in [[Jonesborough, County Armagh]], and told motorists "We're from the IRA. The ''real'' IRA".<ref name="Harnden"/>