Ulster loyalism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2007)

Irish Political History series
Loyalism
Terminology Loyalism Unionism Key Documents Belfast Agreement Government of Ireland Act 1920 Solemn League and Covenant Sunningdale Agreement Parties Vanguard Ulster Democratic Party Progressive Unionist Party Paramilitaries Ulster Volunteer Force Ulster Defence Association Real Ulster Freedom Fighters Loyalist Volunteer Force Orange Volunteers Red Hand Commandos Red Hand Defenders Red Branch Knights Ulster Young Militants CLMC ULCCC Young Citizen Volunteers Other Organisations Loyalist Association of Workers Peep O'Day Boys Tara Ulster Political Research Group Ulster Resistance Ulster Workers Council Cultural "The Twelfth" Apprentice Boys of Derry Orange Institution Royal Black Institution Songs Billy Boys Derry's Walls God Save the Queen The Sash Symbols and Flags Coat of arms of Northern Ireland Orange order flag Red Hand of Ulster Ulster Banner Union Flag Other movements Monarchism {{IrishM}} Nationalism {{IrishN}} Republicanism {{IrishR}} Unionism {{IrishU}}
v • d • e

Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. Some individuals claim that Ulster loyalists are working-class unionists willing to use violence in order to achieve their aims.^[1] However, others, such as Garrett Fitzgerald, argue that loyalism is simply "loyalty to Ulster not to the Union with Britain and it is mis-described as unionism."^[2]

Unionists support the continuation of Northern Ireland's status as a constituent country of the United Kingdom and oppose any joining with the Republic of Ireland in a united Ireland. However, whilst some loyalist groups seek to maintain Northern Ireland's position within the UK they are not defined by this aim and some, such as the Ulster Defence Association, have openly supported the idea of Ulster independence. Unionists also believe in achieving their aims through purely constitutional means, but are willing to use violence to defend the constitutional process. However loyalists support the use of militant methods as the primary means to reject amalgamation with the Republic of Ireland. Consequently, anti-Unionists and anti-Loyalists frequently use the term loyalist to describe illegal paramilitary organisations.

Upon the Partition of Ireland in 1921, six of the nine counties in the province of Ulster were excluded the independent Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland). These counties, four out of the six having (at the time) Protestant majorities^{[citation needed]}, remained a part of the United Kingdom. Two other Ulster counties also remained part of the UK, despite having narrow nationalist (pro-independence) majorities^{[citation needed]}. Both unionist and nationalist communities have allowed or encouraged sectarianism among Protestants (associated with unionism) and Roman Catholics (associated with nationalism) to further political aims^{[citation needed]}.

The difference of opinion between Northern Ireland's Nationalist Catholic population (which mostly supports leaving the UK in favour of uniting with the Republic of Ireland)^{[citation needed]} and its Protestant Unionist population (which mainly supports remaining as part of the United Kingdom) has led to a long-running bloody conflict known as The Troubles. However, the majority of people who live in the region do not support paramilitaries of any ideology^{[citation needed]}.

Contents 1 Political parties 2 Fraternities 3 Paramilitary groups 3.1 Youth groups 3.2 Umbrella organisations 4 Other loyalist organisations 5 Footnotes 6 External links

[edit] Political parties

• Progressive Unionist Party
• Ulster Democratic Party

Bigger parties like the Ulster Unionist or Democratic Unionist parties have actively sought to distance themselves from loyalist paramilitary activity. However, Ian Paisley and his Democratic Unionist Party have worked alongside loyalist paramilitary groups such as the UDA in the 1974 Ulster Workers' Council Strikes and the 1977 Loyalist Association of Workers strike [citation needed].

[edit] Fraternities

• Orange Order
• Apprentice Boys of Derry
• Independent Orange Order

[edit] Paramilitary groups

• Ulster Volunteer Force
• Ulster Defence Association
• Loyalist Volunteer Force
• Ulster Protestant Volunteers
• Orange Volunteers
• Red Hand Commandos
• Red Branch Knights
• Ulster Resistance

[edit] Youth groups

• Ulster Young Militants
• Young Citizen Volunteers

[edit] Umbrella organisations

• Combined Loyalist Military Command
• Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee

[edit] Other loyalist organisations

• Loyalist Association of Workers
• Tara (Northern Ireland)
• Ulster Political Research Group
• Ulster Workers Council

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Steve Bruce, The Red Hand: Protestant Paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, 1992
2. ^ Fergal Cochrane, Unionist Politics and the Politics of Unionism since the Anglo-Irish Agreement, 2001

[edit] External links

• Loyalist, Unionist and Protestant Resources
• Beyond Conflict - A South-East Antrim organization linked with the Ulster Defence Association
• Progressive Unionist Party - Centre-Left and Social Democratic Loyalist party linked with the Ulster Volunteer Force.
• English Loyalists
• Scottish Loyalists
• British Ulster Alliance
• Loyalist FM