Arms Crisis

The weapons crisis ( eng. Arms Crisis ) was a political scandal in the Republic of Ireland, in which two government ministers of the Fianna Fáil party were accused of having imported weapons worth £ 100,000 for the IRA. The funds were misappropriated funds that were intended for the support of Catholic civilians during the conflict in Northern Ireland.

The Finance Minister Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney, Minister of Agriculture were subsequently dismissed from the government on 6 May 1970 by Taoiseach Jack Lynch. Kevin Boland, the Irish family minister resigned in protest against the dismissals.

On 28 May 1970, the trial of the two former ministers took place in Dublin. Participation remained an intelligence officer of the Irish army, Captain James Kelly, a Republican from Belfast named John Kelly and the Belgian arms dealer Albert Luykx. Blaney was the other four defendants acquitted on July 2, on October 23.

The scandal led to intense debate within Fianna Fáil between the supporters of Haughey and Blaney one hand, and those of Jack Lynch on the other side - a point of contention which arose again in 1979 when Haughey was party leader. Some opponents of Haughey, under the leadership of the excluded Fianna Fáil - member Desmond O'Malley founded in 1985 the party of the Progressive Democrats.

• Policy in 1970
• Northern Ireland conflict
• Political affair