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UFF redirects here; they are also the initials of the United Freedom Front, a radical left-wing organisation in the US.

Irish Political History series

Ulster Loyalism

Terminology Loyalism Unionism Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... The United Freedom Front (UFF) was a radical U.S.-based left-wing organization which was responsible for a string of attacks in the late 1970s and 1980s. ... Image File history File links Ireland-up. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Unionism, in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and order of government of the Act of Union 1800 which had merged both countries in 1801 to form the United Kingdom. ... Key documents Belfast Agreement Government of Ireland Act 1920 Solemn League and Covenant Sunningdale Agreement The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act, 1920 (this is its official short title; the formal citation is 10 & 11 Geo. ... The Ulster Covenant was signed by hundreds of thousands of men all over Ulster, Ireland, on and before September 28, 1912, in protest of a Home Rule bill introduced in that same year. ... The Sunningdale Agreement on December 9, 1973, was an attempt to end the Northern Ireland troubles by forcing unionists to share power with nationalists. ... Parties Democratic Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party United Ulster Unionist Coalition Popular Unionist Party Protestant Unionist Party Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party Ulster Democratic Party Progressive Unionist Party “DUP” redirects here. ... 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 United Ulster Unionist Council (also known as the United Ulster Unionist Coalition) was a body that sought to bring together the Unionists opposed to the Sunningdale Agreement in Northern Ireland. ... The Ulster Popular Unionist Party was a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. ... The Protestant Unionist Party (PUP) were a political party operating in Northern Ireland from 1966 to 1971. ... The Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party, also known as the Vanguard Ulster Progressive Party (and several variations of word order), was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1973 and 1978. ... The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) were a small unionist political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) are a small political party from Northern Ireland. ... 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 Combined Loyalist Military Command ULCCC Young Citizen Volunteers The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a Loyalist group in Northern Ireland. ... The Real Ulster Freedom Fighters, otherwise known as the Real UFF (RUFF) is a loyalist paramilitary organisation in Northern Ireland. ... The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) is a loyalist terrorist group in Northern Ireland which broke away from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and was led by the late Billy Wright. ... The Orange Volunteers (OV) are a break-away Loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. ... The Red Hand Commando are a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary group closely linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force. ... The Red Hand Defenders (RHD) is a terrorist group formed in 1998 and composed largely of Protestant hardliners from loyalist groups observing a cease-fire. ... The Red Branch Knights were a semi-mythical group of warriors in ancient Ireland, associated with the legendary hero Cuchulainn -champion of hte province of Uladh (modern Ulster). ... UYM mural painted on Ulsters Freedom Corner, Newtownards Road, Belfast. ... The Combined Loyalist Military Command was an umbrella body for Loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland set up in the early 1990s. ... The Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee (ULCCC) was set up in 1974 in the aftermath of the Ulster Workers Council Strike, in order to facilitate meetings and policy co-ordination between the Ulster Workers Council, the loyalist paramilitaries and the political representatives of loyalism. ... The Young Citizen Volunteers is the youth section of the Ulster Volunteer Force, a paramilitary group. ... Other Organisations Loyalist Association of Workers Peep O'Day Boys Tara Ulster Political Research Group Ulster Resistance Ulster Workers Council The Loyalist Association of Workers (LAW) was a militant Unionist organisation in Northern Ireland that sought to mobilise trade union members in support of the Loyalist cause. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Tara was a loyalist movement in Northern Ireland that espoused a brand of evangelical Protestantism. ... The Ulster Political Research Group are an advisory body connected to the Ulster Defence Association, providing advice to them on political matters. ... Ulster Resistance was a paramilitary movement established by unionists in Northern Ireland on 10 November 1986 in opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. ... The Ulster Workers Council was a Loyalist workers organisation set up in Northern Ireland in 1974 as a more formalised successor to the Loyalist Association of Workers. ... Cultural "The Twelfth" Apprentice Boys of Derry Orange Institution Royal Black Preceptory The Twelfth is an annual Protestant celebration on 12 July, originating in Ireland. ... Apprentice Boys of Derry Crest The Apprentice Boys Of Derry are a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership, founded in 1814. ... 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. ... The Royal Black Institution, also known as the Royal Black Preceptory, or The Imperial Grand Black Chapter Of The British Commonwealth is a Protestant fraternal society. ... Songs Billy Boys Derry's Walls God Save the Queen Rule Britannia The Sash The Billy Boys is a loyalist song from Glasgow, sung to the tune of Marching Through Georgia. ... Derrys Walls is a loyalist song sung in Scotland and Ireland. ... Publication of an early version in The Gentlemans Magazine, 15 October 1745. ... “Rule Britannia” is a patriotic British national song, originating from the poem Rule Britannia by James Thomson, and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740. ... The Sash is an Irish Protestant ballad commemorating the Protestant victory in the Williamite war in Ireland in 1690-91. ... Symbols and Flags Coat of arms of Northern Ireland Orange order flag Red Hand of Ulster Ulster Banner Union Flag The Coat of Arms of Northern Ireland The Coat of Arms of Northern Ireland was granted to the Government of Northern Ireland in 1924, after the Irish Free State had separated from the United Kingdom. ... 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. ... Red Hand redirects here. ... The Union Flag is used by the British government for official events in Northern Ireland. ... “Union Jack” redirects here. ... Other movements & links Monarchy in the Irish Free State Irish Nationalism Irish republicanism Irish Unionism King George V, the first monarch to reign in the Irish Free State. ... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ... Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent republic, whether as a unitary state, a federal state or as a confederal arrangement. ... 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...

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The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) is a loyalist paramilitary organization in Northern Ireland, outlawed as a terrorist group in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and which aim is to defend the loyalist community from Republican terrorism. Its main objective has been to reject Northern Irish amalgamation with the Republic of Ireland seeking to do so through either Ulster independence or maintenance of the Act of Union. Its military branch has operated under the name Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). Its terrorist activities, which have included attacks against civilians as well as members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, were origionaly intended by the UDA as retaliatory acts for Irish Republican violence against Protestants in Northern Ireland. The UDA/UFF has also killed at least three Irish republican paramilitary members.^[1][2] This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Paramilitary designates forces whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force, but which are not regarded as having the same status. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part 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). ... A terrorist organisation is an organisation that engages in terrorist tactics, they are also (perhaps more neutrally) referred to as militant organisations. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ...

Origin and development

The Ulster Defense Association emerged in September 1971 as an umbrella organisation, from various vigilante groups commonly referred to as defence associations.^[3][1] Its first leader was Charles Smith.^[1] At its peak of strength it held around forty thousand members, mostly part-time.^{[citation needed]} It also originally had the motto 'law before violence' and was in fact a legal organisation until it was banned on the 10th of August 1992.^[1] During this period of legality, the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) ^{[citation needed]} committed a large number of paramilitary attacks,^{[citation needed]} including the assassination of Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) politician Paddy Wilson in 1973.^[4] An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry specific) institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. ... For other uses, see Vigilante (disambiguation). ... 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. ... Paddy Wilson (1933-1973) was a Northern Ireland politician, was killed by John White, a member of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ...

In the 1970s the group favoured Northern Ireland independence, but they have retreated from this position.^{[citation needed]} The UDA was involved in the successful Ulster Workers Council Strike in 1974, which brought down the Sunningdale Agreement — an agreement which some loyalists and Unionists thought conceded too much to nationalist demands. The strike was led by Vanguard Assemblyman and UDA member, Glenn Barr.^[5] The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Ulster nationalism seeks the independence of either Ulster or Northern Ireland from both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. ... Fifteen unprecedented, historic days in 1974 when a million British citizens, the Protestants of Northern Ireland, staged what amounted to a rebellion against the Crown and won. ... The Sunningdale Agreement on December 9, 1973, was an attempt to end the Northern Ireland troubles by forcing unionists to share power with nationalists. ... Glenn Barr (born 1932 in Derry) was a Northern Ireland politician and advocate of Ulster nationalism. ...

The UDA/UFF's official political position during the Troubles was that if the Provisional Irish Republican Army called off its campaign of violence, then the UDA would do the same. However, if the British government announced that it was withdrawing from Northern Ireland, then the UDA would act as "the IRA in reverse".^[6] For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern...

In 1987, the UDA commander John McMichael promoted a document titled "Common Sense", which promoted a consensual end to the conflict in Northern Ireland, while maintaining the Union. The document advocated a power sharing assembly, involving both Nationalists and Unionists, an agreed constitution and new Bill of Rights. It is not clear however, whether this programme was adopted by the UDA as their official policy.^[7] ‘’’John McMichael’’’ (known as ‘Big John’) was a leading Northern Ireland Loyalist who rose to become the most prominent figure within the Ulster Defence Association. ...

The UDA and politics

The New Ulster Political Research Group (NUPRG) was initially the political wing of the UDA, founded in 1978, which then evolved into the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party in 1981 under the leadership of John McMichael, a prominent UDA member killed by the IRA in 1987, amid suspicion that he was set up to be killed by some of his UDA colleagues. In 1989, the ULDP changed its name to the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) and finally dissolved itself in 2001 following very limited electoral success. Gary McMichael, son of John McMichael, was the last leader of the UDP, which supported the signing of the Good Friday Agreement but had poor electoral success and internal difficulties. The Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG) was subsequently formed to give political analysis to the UDA and act as community workers in loyalist areas. It is currently represented on the Belfast City Council. The Ulster Political Research Group are an advisory body connected to the Ulster Defence Association, providing advice to them on political matters. ... The Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party (ULDP) was a small political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... ‘’’John McMichael’’’ (known as ‘Big John’) was a leading Northern Ireland Loyalist who rose to become the most prominent figure within the Ulster Defence Association. ... The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) were a small unionist political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... Gary McMichael is the son of former Ulster Defence Association leader John McMichael and was the leader of the now defunct Ulster Democratic Party during the peace process. ... ‘’’John McMichael’’’ (known as ‘Big John’) was a leading Northern Ireland Loyalist who rose to become the most prominent figure within the Ulster Defence Association. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was signed in Belfast on April 10, 1998 by the British and Irish Governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. ... The Ulster Political Research Group are an advisory body connected to the Ulster Defence Association, providing advice to them on political matters. ... Belfast City Council is the largest local council serving the largest city in Northern Ireland which has a population of 277,391. ...

Campaign of violence

The UDA flag in the village centre of Ahoghill, County Antrim.

The UDA was involved in some killings in the early 1970s, but most of its murders were carried out since the late 1980s.^{[citation needed]} They benefited, along with the Ulster Volunteer Force and a group called Ulster Resistance set up by the Democratic Unionist Party, from a shipment of arms imported from South Africa in 1988.^[8] The weapons landed included rocket launchers, 200 rifles, 90 pistols and over 400 grenades.^[9] Although almost two–thirds of these weapons were later recovered by the RUC, they enabled to UDA to launch an assassination campaign against their perceived enemies. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x696, 35 KB) Summary The UDA flag flying in the center of Ahoghill, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x696, 35 KB) Summary The UDA flag flying in the center of Ahoghill, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ... Ahoghill (pronounced ah-HOCH-ill, where ch represents the guttural sound in loch; not pronounced A Hog Hill) is a village in the district of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Antrim Area: 2,844 km² Population (est. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a Loyalist group in Northern Ireland. ... Ulster Resistance was a paramilitary movement established by unionists in Northern Ireland on 10 November 1986 in opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. ... “DUP” redirects here. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ...

UFF warning mural

In 1992 Brian Nelson, a prominent UDA member convicted of sectarian murders, revealed that he was also a British Army agent. This led to allegations that the British Army and RUC were helping the UDA to target Irish republican activists. UDA members have since confirmed that they received intelligence files on republicans from British Army and RUC intelligence sources.^[10] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 279 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Warning mural painted on Belfast house about the Ulster Freedom Fighters ‹ The template below (PD-self) is being considered for deletion. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 279 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Warning mural painted on Belfast house about the Ulster Freedom Fighters ‹ The template below (PD-self) is being considered for deletion. ... Brian Nelson may refer to: Brian Nelson, American screenwriter and producer Brian Nelson, British intelligence agent operating as the intelligence chief of the loyalist Ulster Defence Association paramilitary organization Brian Nelson, Drummer for California punk band Career Soldiers Category: ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ...

One of the most notorious UDA attacks came in October 1993, when two UDA men attacked a restaurant called the Rising Sun in the predominantly Catholic village of Greysteel, County Londonderry, where two hundred people were celebrating Halloween. Eight people were killed and nineteen wounded. This is known as the Greysteel massacre. The UDA claimed the attack was in retaliation to the IRA's Shankill Road bombing which killed nine, seven days earlier. Greysteel (Irish translation is forgotten) is a village in County Derry, Northern Ireland, 14 kilometres to the east of Derry and 11 kilometres to the west of Limavady, on the main A2 coast road between Limavady and Derry overlooking Lough Foyle. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Derry Area: 2,074 km² Population (est. ... This article is about the holiday. ... The Greysteel massacre occurred on the evening of the October 30, 1993 when three members of the Ulster Freedom Fighters, an Ulster Loyalist organisation headed by Johnny Adair, entered the Rising Sun Bar in Greysteel, County Londonderry. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

UDA mural in Shankill, Belfast

According to the Sutton database of deaths at the University of Ulster's CAIN project, the UDA was responsible for 112 killings during the Troubles. Seventy-eight of its victims were civilians (predominantly Catholics), twenty-nine were other loyalist paramilitaries (including twenty-two of its own members), three were members of the security forces and two were republican paramilitaries. Some believe that a number of these attacks were carried out with the assistance or complicity of the British Army and/or the Royal Ulster Constabulary, which the Stevens Enquiry appeared to add credence to, although the exact number of people murdered as a result of collusion, if any, has not been revealed. The preferred modus operandi of the UDA was individual killings of select civilian targets in nationalist areas, rather than large-scale bomb or mortar attacks. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 744 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1382 × 1114 pixel, file size: 871 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) UDA mural in Lower Shankill area, Belfast. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 744 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1382 × 1114 pixel, file size: 871 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) UDA mural in Lower Shankill area, Belfast. ... The University of Ulster (UU) is a multi-centre university located in Northern Ireland and is the largest single university on the island of Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland. ... For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ... On April 16, 2003, Sir John Stevens released an interim version of the Stevens Report, the result of an official British government investigation. ...

Criminality

The UDA is heavily involved in racketeering and in the drugs trade in Northern Ireland,^[11] and to a lesser extent in western Scotland.^[12] The group had also developed strong links with neo-nazi groups in Britain such as Combat 18,^[13] though in 2005 the UDA announced that it was severing all ties with neo-Nazi organisations.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the country. ... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... Combat 18 logo, which is based on the Totenkopf of the 3rd SS Division Combat 18 (or C18) is the armed wing of the British neo-Nazi organization Blood & Honour. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

They have been involved in several feuds with the Ulster Volunteer Force, which led to many murders.^{[citation needed]} The UDA has also been riddled by its own internecine warfare, with self-styled "brigadiers" and former figures of power and influence, such as Johnny Adair and Jim Gray (themselves bitter rivals), falling rapidly in and out of favour with the rest of the leadership. On February 22, 2003, the UDA announced a "12-month period of military inactivity".^[14] It said it will review its ceasefire every three months. It also apologised for the involvement of some of its members in the drugs trade.^{[citation needed]} The loyalist feud refers to a feud which in 2002 split the Ulster Defence Association, one of the main loyalist organisations in Northern Ireland. ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a Loyalist group in Northern Ireland. ... Johnny Adair (b. ... James Gray, (1958 - October 4, 2005), was a leader of the Ulster Defence Association in Northern Ireland, an illegal paramilitary unionist group. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On June 20, 2006 the UDA expelled Andre Shoukri and his brother Ihab, two of its senior members who were heavily involved in crime. Some see this as a sign that the UDA is slowly coming away from crime.^[15] Other senior members met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for talks on the 13th of July in the same year.^[16] is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Andre Shoukri is a former member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) who has recently been unofficially exiled from Northern Ireland by the leadership of the UDA.[1] // Andre was born in 1978, the son of a Coptic Christian Egyptian father and a Irish mother. ... The Taoiseach (IPA: or ) — plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach[1], is the head of government of Ireland or prime minister. ... Bartholomew Bertie Ahern (Irish: ;[1] born 12 September 1951) is an Irish politician who, since 26 June 1997, has served as the tenth Taoiseach of Ireland. ...

Ceasefires

Its ceasefire was welcomed by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Paul Murphy and the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Hugh Orde. Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part 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 Right Honourable Paul Peter Murphy (born 25 November 1948) is a British politician for the Labour Party. ... Chief Constable is the title given to the commanding officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except the two responsible for Greater London. ... The Police Service of Northern Ireland (Irish: Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart na hÉireann) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. ... Sir Hugh Stephen Orde OBE is the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). ...

Following an August 2005 Sunday World article that poked fun at the gambling losses of one of its leaders, the UDA banned the sale of the newspaper from shops in areas it controls. Shops that defy the ban have suffered arson attacks, and at least one newsagent was threatened with death.^[17] The PSNI have recently begun accompanying the paper's delivery vans.^[18][19] The UDA was also considered to have played an instrumental role in loyalist riots in Belfast in September 2005.^[20] The Sunday World is an Irish newspaper published by Sunday Newspapers Limited, a division of Independent News and Media. ... The Police Service of Northern Ireland (Irish: Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart na hÉireann) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. ...

On the November 13, 2005, the UDA announced that it would "consider its future", in the wake of the standing down of the Provisional IRA and Loyalist Volunteer Force.^[21] is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) is a loyalist terrorist group in Northern Ireland which broke away from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and was led by the late Billy Wright. ...

In February 2006, the Independent Monitoring Commission reported UDA involvement in organised crime, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, extortion, money laundering and robbery.^[22] The Independent Monitoring Commission is an organisation, founded on 7 January 2004, to promote peace and stability in Northern Ireland. ...

Red Hand Defenders

The Red Hand Defenders is an organisation that formed in 1998. Its members are loyalist hard-liners that oppose the ceasefire. The organisation seems to be made up of members of the UDA/UFF and LVF — all organisations that officially denounce them.^[23] Speculation remains as to exactly what their relationships are. The Red Hand Defenders (RHD) is a terrorist group formed in 1998 and composed largely of Protestant hardliners from loyalist groups observing a cease-fire. ...

See also

• Ulster Young Militants
• Jackie McDonald

UYM mural painted on Ulsters Freedom Corner, Newtownards Road, Belfast. ... Jackie McDonald is the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) brigadier for South Belfast, whose activities gained considereable media publicity. ...

References

Peter Taylor is a British journalist and documentary maker who has covered the Troubles in Northern Ireland for many years. ... Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is an independent, London-based publishing house known for literary novels. ...

Other sources

• Steve Bruce, The Red Hand, 1992, ISBN 0-19-215961-5
• Colin Crawford, Inside the UDA: Volunteers and Violence, 2003.
• Ed Moloney, The Secret History of the IRA
• Brendan O'Brien, The Long war, the IRA and Sinn Féin

External Links

Ulster Defence Association