Pulling the Brakes on Political Violence: How Internal Brakes Limited Violent Escalation from the Provisional IRA in Pre- and Post-Good Friday Northern Ireland

Under what circumstances do paramilitary groups place limits on their use of political violence? This article considers why one the most prominent active during “Troubles” in Northern Ireland, Provisional IRA (PIRA), exercised restraint and limited violence, both lead up to, wake Good Friday Agreement. It applies Busher, Holbrook, Macklin’s “internal brakes” typology to understand despite PIRA’s proven capacity sustain a campaign armed violence for more than thirty years, they reined paramilitarism 1990s peace process. Through lens various brakes, analysis identifies seven developments that were particularly salient limiting violence. These included: weakened continue campaign, waning popular support, an opening opportunities, need maintain ties with strategically important non-violent allies, gradual softening out-group boundaries, decommissioning process, as well creation spaces activism within wider movement. study’s findings contribute scholarly debate understanding how militant manage parameters highlighting several factors may mitigate risk extremist views escalating