As Mark Twain said, "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."
There are a great many Irish who are opposed to the IRA and and it's terrorism and fear a Sinn Fein communist government. Yes, people in the Republic have enjoyed a little break from socialism for the past 10 years and discovered capitalism is good. Sinn Fein does not merely want to "Kick out the English occupiers". They want to take over the entire island and rule it like only a communist can. Not only would this spell disaster for the Irish economy but Irish Catholics would live in fear of the Sinn Fein/IRA tactics of maintaining civil obedience.
England has been America's most consistent ally. The IRA keeps company with the bin Ladens of the world.
Some bozo on this page suggested air strikes against Ireland! 'My enemy's enemy is my friend'. If you follow this logic through, then are we friends the loyalist terrorists who are so active right now? Sounds like it on this page.