Keith, you asked Lil Kiwi why he thought that the IRA were well supported. I do not know very much about the IRA, their activities, policies or membership from 1956 up to date but, I have lived with the stories of too numerous relatives, friends and acquaintances not to be certain that the Volunteers of the "Tan War" were given 90 - 95% support by the populace back then. They could not have struggled for as long as they did without that , nor without the tactics that they were forced to employ. (This was in spite of some of their leaders exhortations, that they should fight a "legitimate" War (whatever that is) against a vastly superior force)