[1] The lobby group was formed to counterbalance British influences in the United States Congress and government, at a time when Northern Ireland was engulfed in violence.
The situation was complicated, as Britain and the USA were allied in NATO during the Cold War against the Soviet Union, which collaborated with some Irish republican elements.
In the 1976 presidential race, Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter approached the INC in an effort to attract votes from a group, stating his belief that "it is a mistake for our country's government to stand quiet on the struggle of the Irish for peace, for the respect of human rights, and for unifying Ireland.
One of the INC's main activities is lobbying for the MacBride Principles, a manifesto promulgated by the Caucus and written by its founder, Father McManus.
In September 1997, the INC formed a tax-exempt charitable organization, the Irish Peace Foundation, to support "a non-violent solution in Ireland.