So really believe that if that bomb had killed hundreds then the IRA would have continued on as before? That monies would have continued to flow from the US? That they would have maintained the same level of support within the community?

Exactly. A huge death toll in Manchester would have ended any support from the US.

Omagh

Your point?

That bomb was ruthlessly placed with the sole goal of killing and badly injuring as many people as possible, unlike other bombings at early hours of the morning when no one was around. Even though this wasn't the main arm of IRA that carried it out the entire cause still to this day has support. Therefore your point about them not receiving support if they had killed hundreds of people is void.

They would have dealt themselves a bad blow and yes their support would have been hit hard,but they would have gone on regardless as some idiots are doing today,(thankfully not very effectively).You would be utterly amazed as to how these people think,trust me i lived among them for many years.

The Omagh bomb, probably more than any other single incident, did more to bring the troubles in Ulster to an end than anything else. It disgusted people and almost instantly brought a ceasefire from the IRA.

As for this comment "unlike other bombings at early hours of the morning when no one was around" You are joking, surely? The idea that bombs were only going off in the middle of the night, so that people were not injured, is laughable.

Laughable,careful now

So what would you say is the point of the majority of IRA bombings being preceeded by warning telephone calls to authorities before the events? How many people would have died in Manchester had there not been a warning call?

...and I fully agree with you. There is and always will be, a hardcore of nutters who do it because they enjoy it. My point is more that the IRA, as a major force, would have been mortally wounded by the death of hundreds of people in a single incident.

It would have been a death knell for the current round of 'Troubles' and it would have, IMO, been the end of an coherent Republican movement for generations.

Mortal blow mmm not sure mate,and cohesion is something the republican movement have never had anyway.

So, under that theory, how do you explain their current existence and support after Omagh?

**** me I had realised what a caring, sharing, organization PIRA was. Thanks for pointing out that they really didn't set out to kill people. Just to break the odd window or so.

answer the question

Unfortunately yer right,they(republican terrorists) still command a significant 'silent' support in Ireland as a whole.