A Catholic Unionist is either a Roman Catholic in Northern Ireland who supports continuing ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain or a Roman Catholic from the Republic of Ireland who supports Ireland rejoining the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is a constituent country of the United Kingdom, consisting of the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ...

Among those who vote for mainstream Unionist parties in Northern Ireland, Catholic Unionists usually support the more moderate Ulster Unionist Party, as opposed to the Democratic Unionist Party because of the latter party's involvement in some contentious Orange Order parades and because of the anti-Catholic religious doctrine of DUP Party leader Ian Paisley. Many Catholic Unionists vote for mainstream Catholic Nationalist parties ^{[citation needed]} such as the Social Democratic and Labour Party or for the non-aligned Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, notwithstanding the former's support for a United Ireland. In the Irish context, Unionists form a group of largely (though not exclusively) Protestant people in Ireland, of all social classes, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which the Northern Ireland provincial state created in... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party) is a moderate unionist political party in Northern Ireland. ... This article is about the political party in Northern Ireland. ... Orange parade in Glasgow (1 June 2003) The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Northern Ireland and Scotland with lodges throughout the Commonwealth and in Canada and the United States. ... This article is about the political party in Northern Ireland. ... Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born 6 April 1926), styled The Revd and Rt Hon. ... The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP — Irish: Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is the smaller of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. ... The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), is a political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Catholic Unionists

• Richard Doherty, author, military historian and RUC reservist from County Londonderry.
• Sir John Gorman, a Catholic Ulster Unionist Party delegate.
• General Sir John Winthrop Hackett. Known as 'Shan' Hackett, he was born in Australia to Irish Catholic parents. Hackett was a professional soldier in the British Army. He served as Commander in Chief of the British Army of the Rhine and later as Commander of the Northern Army Group for NATO. He also wrote the best seller The Third World War, a work of fiction that laid out a "what if" scenario of a possible conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact during the 1980s. He had a home in County Donegal.
• Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, OBE. Educated by the Irish Christian Brothers in Dundalk; self-made pharmaceutical tycoon who served as a nominee of Taoiseach Charles Haughey in Seanad Éireann.
• Sir Denis Henry, was born in County Londonderry in 1864. A son of prosperous Catholic businessman, he was elected MP for South Londonderry in 1916 and later served as Solicitor-General for Ireland and then as the First Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.
• William Mulholland, ^{[citation needed]} a Belfast born engineer who later emigrated to the United States of America.

Several members of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland have been Catholics, including leaders John Cushnahan and Oliver Napier, and former MP Thomas Columba Gormley. The Alliance Party is not, as such, a Unionist party. Although they support the union, they only do so as long as those are the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland. Many of its members would not regard themselves as Unionists in the conventional sense. Richard Doherty is a County Londonderry-born military historian and author, educated at St. ... For other places with similar names, see Londonderry (disambiguation) and Derry (disambiguation). ... Sir John Reginald Gorman CVO CBE MC DL was between 1998 and 2003 an Ulster Unionist Party MLA for North Down, and one of the few Roman Catholics to be elected as a Unionist representative in Northern Ireland. ... This article is about the British Army officer and author, for information about the musician, see John Hackett (musician). ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... There have been two formations named British Army on the Rhine (BAOR). ... This article is about the military alliance. ... The Third World War is the name of a Sega CD turn-based stradegy game where you play against the computer as a nation of your choice in the present day or in the future. ... Not to be confused with the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Statistics Province: Ulster Dáil Éireann: Donegal North East, Donegal South West County Town: Lifford Code: DL Area: 4,841 km² Population (2006) 146,956 Website: www. ... Dr. Edward Enda Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond OBE (b. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The Taoiseach (IPA: or ) — plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach[1], is the head of government of Ireland or prime minister. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Type Upper house of Oireachtas Cathaoirleach Pat Moylan, Fianna Fáil since 13 September 2007 Members 60 Political groups Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Party Independents Progressive Democrats Green Party Sinn Féin Last elections 2007 Meeting place Leinster House Web site www. ... Sir Denis Henry, (7 March 1864 – 1 October 1925), was born in Cahore, Draperstown, County Londonderry A son of prosperous Catholic businessman, he was educated at Marist College, Dundalk; Mount St Mary College, Chesterfield, a Jesuit foundation; and Queens College, Belfast, where he won every law scholarship open to... For other places with similar names, see Londonderry (disambiguation) and Derry (disambiguation). ... South Londonderry was a former UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. ... The Solicitor-General for Ireland was an Irish and then (from the Act of Union 1800) United Kingdom government office. ... William Mulholland (1855–1935) was a prominent and influential water-services engineer in Southern California. ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), is a political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... John Walls Cushnahan (born July 23, 1948) is a former politician in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who served as leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and then as a Member of the European Parliament for Fine Gael. ... Sir Oliver Napier was the first leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. ... Tom Gormley (29 July 1916 - 1984) was a politician in Northern Ireland. ...

Irish Unionists in the Republic of Ireland

• Stan Gebler Davies (deceased) - a journalist for the Irish Independent, who stood as a Unionist for the Dáil in 1987.

• Conor Cruise O'Brien, former member of the UK Unionist Party and the Irish Labour Party.

The Irish Independent is Irelands best-selling daily newspaper. ... This article is about the current Irish body. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Conor Cruise OBrien (Irish: ; born 3 November 1917) is an Irish politician, writer and academic. ... The UK Unionist Party (UKUP) is a small political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ...

See also

• Southern Unionism and Neo-Unionism
• West Brit

Unionism, in the context of Ireland, is a belief in the continuation of the Act of Union 1800 (as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920) so that Northern Ireland (created by the 1920 Act) remains part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... A West Briton (Shortened: West Brit, Adjective: West British) is a derogatory term for an Irish person who has sympathies towards Britain. ...

Voting trends

Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey's 2005 poll results suggest that a quarter of Northern Irish Catholics favour Northern Ireland remaining as part of the United Kingdom.^[1] The NILT results also suggest that 5% of Roman Catholics would vote for the nominally unionist Alliance Party, but none would support any of the mainstream or 'hardline' Unionist parties. Similarly, the poll results suggested that 7% of Protestants would vote for the Alliance Party, while 2% of Protestants would vote for the moderate nationalist SDLP.^[2] Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), is a political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... An Irish nationalist is generally one who seeks (greater) independence of Ireland from Great Britain, including since 1921 the goal of a United Ireland. ... Social Democratic Labour Party (in Dutch: Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiders Partij), a political party which existed between 1894 and 1945. ...

Footnotes

See also

• Ulster Unionist Party
• Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
• Unionism (Ireland)
• West Briton
• Protestant Nationalist

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party) is a moderate unionist political party in Northern Ireland. ... The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), is a political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... Unionism, in the context of Ireland, is a belief in the continuation of the Act of Union 1800 (as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920) so that Northern Ireland (created by the 1920 Act) remains part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... West Briton (Irish: Seoinín) (adjective West British) is a derogatory term for an Irish person who is alleged by the user of the term to have sympathies towards Britain. ... A Protestant Nationalist, in the context of the situation in Ireland and especially Northern Ireland, is a Protestant supporter of a fully independent Irish nation. ...

External links

• Ulster Unionist Party
• Alliance Party