 The Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) had been inactive militarily since the end of the Border Campaign in 1962 . It was low in both personnel and equipment — Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding told Seán Keenan and Paddy Doherty in August 1969 that he " couldn 't defend the Bogside . I haven 't the men nor the guns to do it . " During the 1960s the leadership of the republican movement had moved to the left . Its focus was on class struggle and its aim was to unite the Irish nationalist and unionist working classes in order to overthrow capitalism , both British and Irish . Republican Clubs were formed in Northern Ireland , where Sinn Féin was proscribed . These clubs were involved in the formation of NICRA in 1967 . In Derry , the James Connolly Republican Club worked closely with Labour Party radicals , with whom they set up the Derry Housing Action Committee and Derry Unemployed Action Committee . The Derry Citizens ' Defence Association was formed initially by republicans , who then invited other nationalists to join . Although there were tensions between the younger leaders like Johnnie White and the older , traditional republicans such as Seán Keenan , both sides saw the unrest of 1968 @-@ 69 as a chance to advance republican aims , and the two shared the platform at the Easter Rising commemoration in April 1969 . 
 The Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) had been inactive militarily since the end of the Border Campaign in 1962 . It was low in both personnel and equipment — Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding told Seán Keenan and Paddy Doherty in August 1969 that he " couldn 't defend the Bogside . I <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>haven</mark></a> 't the men nor the guns to do it . " During the 1960s the leadership of the republican movement <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> moved to the left . Its focus was on class struggle and its aim was to unite the Irish nationalist and unionist working classes in order to overthrow capitalism , both British and Irish . Republican Clubs <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> formed in Northern Ireland , where Sinn Féin was proscribed . These clubs <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> involved in the formation of NICRA in 1967 . In Derry , the James Connolly Republican Club worked closely with Labour Party radicals , with whom they set up the Derry Housing Action Committee and Derry Unemployed Action Committee . The Derry Citizens <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'</mark></a>Defence Association was formed initially by republicans , <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>who</mark></a>then invited other nationalists to join . Although <a href='dey_it' title='7'><mark>there</mark></a> <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>were</mark></a> tensions between the younger leaders like Johnnie White and the older , traditional republicans such as Seán Keenan , both sides saw the unrest of 1968 @-@ 69 as a chance to advance republican aims , and the two shared the platform at the Easter Rising commemoration in April 1969 . 
Da Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) had been inactive militarily since the end of the Border Campaign in 1962 . It was low in both personnel and equipment — Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding tld Seán Keenan and Paddy Doherty in August 1969 dat he " couldn 't defend tdaBogside . I havened 't the men nor thdauns to do it . " During the 1960s the leadership of thedapublican movement done moved to the left . Its focus was on class struggle and its aim was to unite the Irish nationalist and unionist workin classes in order to overthrow capitalism , both British and Irish . Republican Clubs was formed in Northern Ireland , where Sinn Féin was proscribed . These clubs was involved in the formation of NICRA in 1967 . In Derry , the daes Connolly Republican Club worked closely with Labour Party radicals , with whom they set up the Derry Housing Action Committee and Derry Unemployed Action Committee . The Derry Citizens  Defence Association was formed initially by republicans , then invited other nationalists to join . Although it was tensions between the ydager leaders like Johnnie White and the older , traditional republicans such as Seán Keenan , both sides saw the undat of 1968 @-@ 69 as a chance to advance republican aims , and the 2 shared the platform at the Easda Rising commemoration in April 1969 .