Despite claims of a continuum, the IRA of the civil war period is considered an entirely different organisation to the Provisional IRA. Political historian Dr Eamon Phoenix last night (Friday) explained that since the early 1920s, the IRA had split six times.
Mr Phoenix said that the various splits have meant that the Provisional IRA is "far removed" from the IRA during the War of Independence.
Unionists have criticised a police recruit who wore an old IRA medal at a passing out parade.
The UUP and DUP expressed outrage that the Black and Tan medal, commemorating IRA members who fought British soldiers during the 1917-21 campaign for Irish independence, was pinned to the chest of a graduate during a ceremony.
Mr Phoenix last night said: "The phrase 'the old IRA' was used in post-Independence Ireland to describe the Irish volunteers or the IRA from 1913 to 1921.
"They were founded as the Irish volunteers in 1913 and took part in the 1916 rising."
Mr Phoenix said that medals presented to IRA members in recent years were very different to those given out in the 1920s.
"I would assume that this recruit was wearing a medal probably given to his grandfather during the War of Independence," he said.
"If you went to a passing out parade of the gardai, you would see the recruits bearing similar medals.
"The IRA has split six times since 1921 so the present IRA is far removed from the IRA of the independence struggle.
"In the last two to three years, the IRA has introduced Tir-Gradh medals for active service.
"When they made the medals in recent years, it was seen my many as being a sign that the war was over," he said.
