Well, one not insignificant difference is that the IRA no longer exist as even an inactive armed organisation. Takes like this aren't really helpful as they ignore the divergences in different places.
Oh they definitely should not be banned now of course. Sinn Fein should have been banned in the 70s or 80s, at the height of the Troubles. Any ban after the GFA is dumb.
If you want Irish reunification, that is fine (and you had SDLP and FF on both sides of the border). But violence is never an option and parties using violence and terrorism should be banned
Similarly I would also ban the paramilitary unionist parties in NI (not sure how many of them there were/are though)
