ULSTER LOYALISM

'Ulster loyalism' is a militant Unionist ideology held by mostly Protestant members of the Ulster community in Northern Ireland. Some individuals claim that 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 membership in the United Kingdom and oppose joining 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 constrained by this aim in the same way as unionists 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 Irish independence in 1921 — despite a majority of Irish people desiring a united Ireland — four of the nine counties in the province of Ulster were permitted to opt out of the independent Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland). These counties, which had Protestant majorities, remained a part of the United Kingdom. Two other Ulster counties also remained part of the UK, despite having narrow Irish nationalist majorities. 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.
The difference of opinion between Northern Ireland's Catholic population (which mostly supports leaving the UK in favour of uniting with the Republic of Ireland) and its Protestant 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.

Contents

Political parties

Fraternities

Paramilitary groups

Youth groups

Umbrella organisations

Other loyalist organisations

Footnotes

External links

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.

Fraternities

★ Orange Order

★ Apprentice Boys of Derry

★ Independent Orange Order

Paramilitary groups

★ Ulster Volunteer Force

★ Ulster Defence Association

★ Loyalist Volunteer Force

★ Ulster Protestant Volunteers

★ Orange Volunteers

★ Red Hand Commandos

★ Red Branch Knights

★ Ulster Resistance

Youth groups

★ Ulster Young Militants

★ Young Citizen Volunteers

Umbrella organisations

★ Combined Loyalist Military Command

★ Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee

Other loyalist organisations

★ Loyalist Association of Workers

★ Tara (Northern Ireland)

★ Ulster Political Research Group

★ Ulster Workers Council

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

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