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. Followers of Unionism are known as unionists. The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... 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. ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... Motto: Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto; French for God and my right) 3 Anthem: God Save the Queen 4 Capital London Most populous conurbation London Official language(s) None at a national level. ...

Everyday life in Northern Ireland reflects the rest of the UK, sharing the same newspapers, roadsigns, postcodes etc. Irish culture, of course, influences the province as well. However, Unionists identify themselves as British due to their ancestry or personal or cultural preference. Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843...

Unionists are mostly, but not exclusively, from Protestant backgrounds in terms of religion. Unionism is a natural identity for the descendents of English and Scottish settlers who arrived in Ulster, especially from the Plantation of Ulster, in the early 17th Century, onwards. Some Northern Irish Catholics have supported the union (see Catholic Unionist) and have vocally been its defenders for over two hundred years (see Sir Denis Henry). Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 Population (estimate) 1,931,981 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Å“The Plantation of Ulster was a planned process of colonisation which took place in the northern Irish province of Ulster during the early 17th century in the reign of James I of England. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... A Catholic Unionist is a Northern Irish, Roman Catholic, who supports continuing ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. ...

In the context of Irish history, the term refers to those who opposed home rule for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland before the creation of Northern Ireland. The History of Ireland began around 8000 BC, when the islands first human inhabitants arrived from Britain and continental Europe, possibly via a land bridge. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right)1 Capital London Head of State King or Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Head of Government Prime Minister Parliament House of Commons, House of Lords This article is about the historical state called the...

The Unionist vision is for Northern Ireland to continue with England, Scotland and Wales as part of the United Kingdom

Image File history File links UK_north_ireland. ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom, England and Wales and England, see British Isles (terminology). ...

Terminology

The terms Unionist and Loyalist are often used interchangeably, particularly by the media. However, the term 'loyalist' is now often used in recent times to describe extremists who are prepared to break the law to maintain the status quo or whose views are unusually hardline. Most unionists do not describe themselves as loyalists. Strictly speaking, the definition of 'unionist' incorporates everyone who supports the continued union between all parts of the United Kingdom. The term 'loyalist' could therefore can be interpreted as either loyalty to the union or loyal to the British Crown. The term Ulster Loyalist is used to describe militant unionists from Northern Ireland. ... The British monarch or Sovereign is the monarch and head of state of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and is the source of all executive, judicial and (as the Queen_in_Parliament) legislative power. ...

On the opposite, nationalist, side, the term republican traditionally refers to the more extreme element which has advocated violence against the state of Northern Ireland and its citizens (e.g., Sinn Féin). The term nationalist, on the other hand, traditionally describes the more moderate element, which has consistently supported constitutional politics (e.g., the Social Democratic and Labour Party, or SDLP). 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 united independent republic. ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... Sinn Féin (pronounced in English, in Irish) is a name used by a series of Irish political movements of the 20th century, each of which claimed sole descent from the original party established by Arthur Griffith in 1905. ... 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. ...

Development

Home Rule

The political union is symbolised by the Westminster Parliament

Prior to 1912, Unionists wished to see the Act of Union 1800 (which had merged the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801) remain in place. They opposed Irish Home Rule, which mainstream southern Irish nationalists had sought since the 1860s as they thought that a self-governing Irish Parliament - dominated by southern-based nationalists - would be to their economic, social and religious disadvantage, and would move eventually towards total independence, thus threatening their natural British nationality and identity. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1351, 713 KB) The Houses of Parliament, seen across Westminster Bridge. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1351, 713 KB) The Houses of Parliament, seen across Westminster Bridge. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right)1 Capital London Head of State King or Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Head of Government Prime Minister Parliament House of Commons, House of Lords This article is about the historical state called the... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is a form of identity that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the... // Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ...

Home Rule would have involved Ireland having its own regional parliament while still remaining in the United Kingdom. This demand, the policy of nationalist leaders such as Isaac Butt. William Shaw, Charles Stewart Parnell, John Redmond and John Dillon, became the aim of the Nationalist Party, also known as the Home Rule League and later the Irish Parliamentary Party. The Home Rule League/Irish Parliamentary Party won the majority of Irish parliamentary seats in the Westminster parliaments from the 1870s until 1914. Issac Butt (September 6, 1813 - May 5, 1879) was the founder and first leader of the Home Rule League, subsequently known as the Irish Parliamentary Party. ... William Shaw was born in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire. ... Charles Stewart Parnell, the uncrowned King of Ireland Charles Stewart Parnell[1] (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish political leader and one of the most important figures in 19th century Ireland and the United Kingdom; William Ewart Gladstone described him as the most remarkable person he had... John Redmond, MP John Edward Redmond (1856 – March 1918) was the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918. ... John Dillon (September 4, 1851 - August 4, 1927) was an Irish nationalist politician. ... The Nationalist Party, an Irish political party, existed under various forms from 1874 to 1978. ... The Home Rule League, sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was a nineteenth and early twentieth century Irish political party which campaigned for home rule for the island of Ireland. ... In 1882 Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, formed the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), replacing the Home Rule League, as a parliamentary party with strict rules. ...

While most Unionists outside Ulster were almost made up of the governing and landowning classes and the minor gentry, Unionism had a broad popular appeal among Protestants of all classes and backgrounds in the North-East which, in contrast to the rest of Ireland, had developed through the Industrial Revolution and had an economy that closely resembled Great Britain. Statistics Area: 24,481 Population (estimate) 1,931,981 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Gentry is a term meaning one thing in the UK: landed gentry. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... A Watt steam engine in Madrid. ...

Various British governments introduced four successive Bills to set up an Irish Home Rule parliament in Dublin. The Irish Home Rule Bill 1886 never made it through the House of Commons but managed to destroy the Liberal Party government, with Whig and Radical elements leaving to form the Liberal Unionist Party in alliance with the Conservative Party. Eventually the two parties merged, calling themselves the Conservative and Unionist Party. Irelands first Home Rule Bill was introduced on 8 April 1886 by Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party (the SDP) to form a new party which would become... The Liberal Unionists were a British political party which split away from the Liberals in 1886, and had effectively merged with the Conservatives by the turn of the century, the formal merger being completed in 1912. ... The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... The new logo of the Conservative Party The Conservative Party is the largest centre right political party in the United Kingdom. ...

The Irish Home Rule Bill 1893 passed in the Commons but succumbed to the veto of the House of Lords.The House of Lords had far more Conservatives than the House of Commons. The Home Rule Act 1914 passed (or at least passed all stages under the Parliament Act, 1911, which curbed the veto power of the Lords) but never came into force, due to the onset of World War I (1914 – 1918). The fourth Bill, known as the Government of Ireland Act 1920, envisaged two Irish home rule states: Southern Ireland which would have had a nationalist majority, and Northern Ireland which would have a much smaller Unionist majority. Only the latter became a reality, while the former became the Irish Free State. In August 1892, William Gladstone was re-elected as Prime Minister and he depended on Irish Parliamentary Party MPs to form a majority. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The Government of Ireland Act 1914, more generally known as the Third Home Rule Act (or Bill) or the (Irish) Home Rule Act 1914, was an Act of Parliament passed by the British House of Commons in May 1914 which granted Ireland national self-government within the United Kingdom of... The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First World War, also known as... 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. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Capital Dublin Head of State King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Head of Government Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Chairman of the Provisional Government from Jan 1922. ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and...

Sir Edward Carson signing the Solemn League and Covenant

Irish unionists opposed Home Rule for many reasons. Much of their support in southern and western Ireland (the provinces of Munster, Leinster and Connacht) came from landed gentry who feared that a nationalist assembly would introduce property and taxation laws more suitable to a small island than the laws imposed from Westminster, which were designed for a much larger area, the entire United Kingdom. Some also feared that they would experience a similar sort of discrimination that the British monarchy up to 1800 had practised on non-Conformists, namely the Penal Laws, or the more subtle discrimination that followed, although this is hard to credit as Ireland would have remained part of the UK. Others identified strongly with the Crown and British rule, and wished to see both continue unchanged in Ireland. However one should not presume that Irish unionist support came entirely from the landed gentry, or that all Protestants supported Unionism. Many working-class and middle-class Unionists and some gentrified Catholics supported the maintenance of the union, while many Protestants (most notably Charles Stewart Parnell) supported home rule. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 50 years. ... This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 50 years. ... The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. ... Alternate uses: See Munster (disambiguation). ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ... Connaught redirects here. ... Gentry is a term meaning one thing in the UK: landed gentry. ... This article describes the British monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ... The Penal laws in Ireland refers to a series of laws imposed under British rule that sought to discriminate against the majority native Catholic population but also against Protestant dissenters in favour of the established Church of Ireland. ... The working class is a social class often contrasted with middle class and upper class in terms of the nature of work undertaken (manual labor or skilled), the level of remuneration (typically low hourly rates although there are exceptions) and access to resources (limited access to capital, education and land). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Charles Stewart Parnell, the uncrowned King of Ireland Charles Stewart Parnell[1] (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish political leader and one of the most important figures in 19th century Ireland and the United Kingdom; William Ewart Gladstone described him as the most remarkable person he had...

Other unionists, particularly in Ulster, had economic fears, suspecting that a nationalist parliament in Dublin, on a predominantly agricultural island, would impose economic tariffs against industry. Ulster was the most industrialised part of Ireland and would have suffered. Statistics Area: 24,481 Population (estimate) 1,931,981 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ...

For much of the period up until 1920, though the Unionist support base predominated in four of the nine counties of Ulster (where the Protestants outnumbered the Roman Catholics), the Irish Unionist Party's leadership came from the rest of Ireland. Its most prominent leader, the Dublin-born barrister and politician Sir Edward Carson, opposed not merely Home Rule but any attempt to divide Ireland into two. Other southern Unionist leaders included the Earl of Middleton and the Earl of Dunraven. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Edward Carson HMSO image The Right Honourable Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC (February 9, 1854 – October 22, 1935) was a leader of the Irish Unionists, a Barrister and a Judge. ... The Partition of Ireland took place in May 1921. ...

When, following the curbs placed on the power of the House of Lords in 1911 it became clear that home rule would come, Unionists, particularly in parts of Ulster, mounted a campaign that threatened to establish a Provisional Government of Ulster if Home Rule were to come about. They set up the Ulster Volunteer Force, a militia, and imported 25,000 rifles from Imperial Germany, to defend the Provisional Government should it ever become necessary. This article is about the British House of Lords. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. ... This article or section should include material from German Monarchy The term German Empire (the translation from German of Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ...

90,000 men had joined by the middle of 1914. Irish Unionism received the support in the period from the 1880s until 1914 from leading English Conservative politicians, notably Lord Randolph Churchill and future British prime minister Andrew Bonar Law. Slogans such as Ulster Will Fight and Ulster Will Be Right expressed the determination of unionists to oppose Irish Home Rule by whatever means it deemed necessary. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... Lord Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill Lord Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill (13 February 1849 – 24 January 1895) was a British statesman. ... The Right Honourable Andrew Bonar Law (September 16, 1858–October 30, 1923) was a Conservative British statesman and Prime Minister. ...

Northern Ireland

The Union Flag represents England, Ireland and Scotland united together

The Ulster Banner - the flag of the former Government of Northern Ireland

St. Patrick's Cross represents Ireland in the Union Flag

The creation of Northern Ireland, with a unionist majority, under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, and the later creation of the Irish Free State, in the territory the above Act had called Southern Ireland, separated southern and northern unionists. Unionists were in the majority in four counties (Antrim, Londonderry, Down and Armagh) but insisted on control over the counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone as well. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag or Union Jack is the flag most commonly associated with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and was also used throughout the former British Empire. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... Flag of Northern Ireland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... self drawn File links The following pages link to this file: Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849) Union Jack Ireland Great Irish Famine (1740-1741) Flag of Ireland Irish potato famine (legacy) British Home Championship Irish Famine (1879) Categories: GFDL images ... self drawn File links The following pages link to this file: Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849) Union Jack Ireland Great Irish Famine (1740-1741) Flag of Ireland Irish potato famine (legacy) British Home Championship Irish Famine (1879) Categories: GFDL images ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... County Antrim ( in [Gaelic) is one of the six Irish counties that form Northern Ireland. ... For other places with similar names, see Londonderry (disambiguation) and Derry (disambiguation). ... County Down, (An Dún in Irish) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, covering an area of 2,448 km² (945 square miles). ... County Armagh (Contae Ard Mhacha in Irish) is a county in Ulster, Ireland. ... County Fermanagh (Fear Manach in Irish) is often referred to as Northern Irelands Lake District. ... The name Tyrone can refer to: A county in Northern Ireland; see County Tyrone An Earl of Tyrone A small steam train which runs between Bushmills and the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. ...

As these counties had a large land area but were thinly populated compared to the other four, it was felt that the slight dilution of the pro-Union population was worth it for the extra territory. The exclusion of three Ulster counties, Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan from Northern Ireland, and hence the United Kingdom, left Ulster unionists there feeling isolated and betrayed. They established an association to canvass their fellow unionists to reconsider the border, but to no avail. Many assisted in the policing of the new region, serving in the B-Specials, while continuing to live in the Free State. See ([external link]). Donegal (Dún na nGall in Irish) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Cavan (An Cabhán in Irish, meaning the hollow) is the main town and administrative centre of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 Population (estimate) 1,931,981 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) was a reserve force of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. ...

Edward Carson had expressly urged the Northern Ireland Unionist prime minister, Sir James Craig to ensure absolute equality in the treatment of Roman Catholics, to ensure the stability of the new entity. However, discrimination took place although its extent is debated. Basil Brooke, whose son had been kidnapped by Irish republicans and was embittered and understandably suspicious of the Catholic community, called for Protestants to employ only Protestants. Some boundaries demarcated electorates in such a way as to produce Unionist majorities in areas that would otherwise have produced nationalist councillors. However, there was also widespread poverty among Protestants and recovery operations in working class areas after the Belfast Blitz in 1941 revealed that both communities were disadvantaged. Edward Carson HMSO image The Right Honourable Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC (February 9, 1854 – October 22, 1935) was a leader of the Irish Unionists, a Barrister and a Judge. ... James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon (8 January 1871 - 24 November 1940) was a prominent Unionist politician and the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, KG, CBE, MC (June 9, 1888-August 18, 1973) was an Irish Unionist politician. ... The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on Easter Tuesday, April 15, 1941, when 200 German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast, Northern Ireland. ...

Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Ulster Unionist Party leader, David Trimble, has admitted that Northern Ireland was a 'cold house of Catholics' for most of the 20th century a process he said the Belfast Agreement must change. Many unionists, particularly in the DUP, deny that organised discrimination took place and point to the poverty shared by many people both communities due to wider economic conditions. 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, which formed its government between 1921 and 1972 and was supported by most unionists throughout the Troubles. ... The Lord Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble (born 15 October 1944) is a Northern Irish politician who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the first First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Belfast Agreement (the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... The Democratic Unionist Party is a hardline Unionist party in Northern Ireland led by Ian Paisley. ...

The Troubles

Main article: The Troubles

By the 1960s, reforms by a moderate new Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill, to create a more equal society between unionists and nationalists resulted in a backlash led by fundamentalist Protestant preacher-politician, Ian Paisley. Nationalists launched a Civil Rights movement and serious rioting took place in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast in 1969. The Troubles is a generic and euphemistic term used to describe a period of sporadic communal violence involving paramilitary organisations, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the British Army and others in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s until the mid-1990s with the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998. ... The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland, appointed by the Governor of Northern Ireland under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. ... Terence Marne ONeill, Baron ONeill of the Maine, PC (10 September 1914–12 June 1990) was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... In comparative religion, fundamentalism has come to refer to several different understandings of religious thought and practice, through literal interpretation of religious texts such as the Bible or the Quran and sometimes also anti-modernist movements in various religions. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Derry or Londonderry (in Irish , Doire Cholm Chille or Doire), often called the Maiden City, is a city in Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

A collapse in law and order and the controversial killing of 13 unarmed civilians by the British army Parachute Regiment in Derry/Londonderry on Bloody Sunday (30 January 1972) co-incided with the emergence of extremist paramilitary groups on both sides^{[citation needed]}. This led to the abolition of the Stormont parliament and government (30 March 1972). The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Parachute Regiment is the Airborne Infantry element of the British Army. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Derry or Londonderry (in Irish , Doire Cholm Chille or Doire), often called the Maiden City, is a city in Northern Ireland. ... For other incidents referred to by this name, see Bloody Sunday. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which existed from June 7, 1921 to March 30, 1972, when it was suspended. ... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in leap years). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

A power-sharing government between moderate nationalists and moderate unionists in 1974 was brought down by a loyalist general strike. This was followed by a plan for rolling devolution through an assembly between 1982 and 1986 but this was boycotted by nationalists. Violence continued throughout this period. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ...

After two decades of conflict, a ceasefire and intense political negotiations produced the Belfast Agreement on 10 April 1998 (also known as the "Good Friday Agreement"), which again attempted with mixed success to produce a power-sharing government for Northern Ireland with cross-community support. The UUP supported the agreement but it was opposed by the DUP and other smaller parties. The Belfast Agreement (the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 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, which formed its government between 1921 and 1972 and was supported by most unionists throughout the Troubles. ... For other political parties named Democratic Unionist Party, see Democratic Unionist Party (disambiguation). ...

Unionism in Northern Ireland today

Parliament Buildings at Stormont - the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly

The Northern Ireland Assembly in session

The House of Commons includes 18 Northern Ireland MPs.

British identity in Northern Ireland is expressed in a number of different ways through passive everyday preferences (some of which can be a combination of British and Irish) such as choice of newspaper or sports team, participation in a locally developed unionist culture or electoral support for unionist political parties and candidates. It is only through elections that unionism can be statistically analysed but surveys have studied trends of support for the union within the province's population. This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ... Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... Download high resolution version (569x721, 56 KB)From [1]. The House of Commons Information Office has made available a small number of copyright-free images on the Parliament website. ... Download high resolution version (569x721, 56 KB)From [1]. The House of Commons Information Office has made available a small number of copyright-free images on the Parliament website. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Unionism and Religious Background

While some commentators regularly use the religious terms 'Catholic' and 'Protestant' interchangeably with 'nationalist' and 'unionist' in Northern Ireland, this is a simplification. Not all Catholics support nationalist causes, for example. The Ulster Unionist Party has some Roman Catholic members, including Sir John Gorman, who was one of its most respected MLAs in the last Assembly. 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, which formed its government between 1921 and 1972 and was supported by most unionists throughout the Troubles. ... 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. ... A Member of the Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the Legislature or legislative assembly of a subnational jurisdiction. ...

Many Roman Catholics have served in the former and current Northern Ireland police forces, the Royal Irish Constabulary and in the British Army, despite opposition, threats and attacks from Irish republicans. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ... The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. ... The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was one of Irelands two police forces in the early twentieth century, alongside the Dublin Metropolitan Police. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

One of the strangest situations in Northern Ireland is that the Protestant fundamentalist leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Rev. Ian Paisley, attracts some Catholic votes in his constituency at elections to the House of Commons. That may be a personal quirk, due to his reputation as a good constituency MP who will help anyone, irrespective of their religion. However, his party, the DUP, has never had any openly Catholic members. This article concerns the self-labeled Fundamentalist Movement in Protestant Christianity. ... For other political parties named Democratic Unionist Party, see Democratic Unionist Party (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Democratic Unionist Party is a hardline Unionist party in Northern Ireland led by Ian Paisley. ...

The nationalist SDLP, meanwhile, has often attracted sympathetic Protestants, some of whom have been elected. Sinn Féin has also has some Protestant members and elected officials, more often in the Republic.

Northern Ireland has many citizens who are neither Catholic or Protestant. Increasingly, the trend has been to ignore the question of religion, particularly as the numbers of practising church-goers, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, have been in decline. This led to a new question on the census form, asking residents to describe their religious background as well.

This decline does not mean that nationalists and unionists have equal numbers. Polls taken over the years have suggested that as many as one in three Catholics could be considered Unionists, regardless of what political party they may vote for at election times, although this percentage seems a little high, particularly given Sinn Féin's recent ascendance.

Furthermore, a strong decline in the Roman Catholic birth rate may slow down or even reverse the growth in the Catholic population. However, that may be balanced in turn by an increased rate of emigration of young Protestants, often to study and then work in Britain. How these changes will affect the long-term number of Protestants and Catholics is hard to assess.

While southern Unionism predominantly (though not exclusively) originated in Church of Ireland circles and the upper-middle to upper classes, northern unionism remains and has been predominantly (though not exclusively) associated with the working and middle classes and predominantly Presbyterian. Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ...

Electoral Unionism

Northern Ireland currently has a number of pro-union political parties, the largest of which is the traditionalist Democratic Unionist Party led by Ian Paisley, followed by the more moderate Ulster Unionist Party led by Reg Empey. For other political parties named Democratic Unionist Party, see Democratic Unionist Party (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 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, which formed its government between 1921 and 1972 and was supported by most unionists throughout the Troubles. ... Sir Reginald Norman Morgan Empey (born on October 26, 1947) is a Northern Ireland politician and a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Belfast. ...

On a smaller level, the Progressive Unionist Party, which is political wing of the UVF paramilitary group, attracts some support in the greater Belfast area, while the UK Unionist Party is centred on North Down and the United Unionist Coalition is a loose grouping of independent candidates across the province. The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) are a small political party from Northern Ireland. ... The UK Unionist Party (UKUP) is a small political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... North Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The United Unionist Coalition, also known as the United Unionist Assembly Party, was formed by a collection of unionist members of the Northern Ireland Assembly who were elected as independent unionists in 1998. ...

The pluralist Conservative Party (officially named the Conservative and Unionist Party) also organises in the province. While the Alliance Party supports the status quo position of Northern Ireland, it does not define itself as Unionist. The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... The term Alliance Party is used of several political parties throughout the world. ...

Pro-union parties and independents contest elections and represent their constituents at a number of different levels. There is a unionist presence at election time in all parliamentary constituencies. The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. ... The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The inside of the building The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary Assembly) is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... Northern Ireland is divided into 18 Parliamentary constituencies - 4 Borough constituencies in Belfast and 14 County constituencies elsewhere. ...

Unionist candidates stand for election in most district electoral areas (small areas which make up district councils) in Northern Ireland. Exceptions, in 2005, were Slieve Gullion in South Armagh, Upper and Lower Falls in Belfast, Shantallow, Northland and Cityside in Londonderry - all of which are strongly nationalist. Likewise, nationalist parties and candidates did not contest some areas in North Antrim, East Antrim, East Belfast, North Down and the Strangford constituency as these are strongly unionist and therefore unlikely to return a candidate. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Derry or Londonderry (in Irish , Doire Cholm Chille or Doire), often called the Maiden City, is a city in Northern Ireland. ... North Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... East Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... Belfast East is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... North Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... Strangford is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ...

Local government in Northern Ireland is not entirely divided on nationalist-unionist lines and the level of political tension depends on the district and its direct experience of the Troubles.

Eight Ulster Unionist peers also sit in the House of Lords but form no organised group and are therefore classed as Cross-benchers. DUP MP Nigel Dodds is also an alternate member of the UK Parliament’s delegations to the Council of Europe and Western European Union (see [[3]]). 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, which formed its government between 1921 and 1972 and was supported by most unionists throughout the Troubles. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... A cross-bencher is a member of the British House of Lords who is not aligned to any particular party. ... Nigel Alexander Dodds, OBE (born August 20, 1958) is a barrister and Northern Ireland unionist politician. ... The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg European Flag: used by the Council of Europe and by the European Union The Council of Europe (French: Conseil de lEurope , German: Europarat /ˌɔɪ.ˈro. ... Membership 10 member states 6 associate member states 5 observer countries 7 associate partner countries Formation - Signed Treaty of Brussels - 17 March 1948 The Western European Union (WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization, established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 with the...

South Belfast and Fermanagh and South Tyrone will be the key target seats for unionism in the next general election, but previous experience indicates that neither seat can be won without an electoral pact between the DUP and the UUP. Both seats were lost, in 2001 and 2005 respectively, due to a divided Unionist vote. Creation 1922 MP Alasdair McDonnell Party Social Democratic and Labour Type House of Commons Districts Belfast, Castlereagh EP constituency Northern Ireland Belfast South is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... Fermanagh & South Tyrone is a Parliamentary Constituency in the British House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June, 2010. ...

Unionists will also be keen to improve their poll in the next European Parliament elections, scheduled for 2009 and ultimately, maintain a majority in any future referendum on a united Ireland. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement allows such referenda to take place every seven years and can be called by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if it appears to him that a majority would support a united Ireland. 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 Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is the British cabinet minister who has responsibility for the government of Northern Ireland. ...

Any unionist participation in elections to Dáil Éireann, if a united Ireland takes place, is purely a matter for speculation at this stage, although there may be some form of abstention, reflecting Sinn Féin's policy towards the House of Commons. On the other hand, a united post-unionist minority could form just under 20% of the electorate and may hold the balance of power in a system dominated by coalition governments. The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not goes to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, isnt absent during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. ...

Unionism and Republicanism

It is technically possible for a unionist to be a British republican. However, a strong cultural attachment to the Crown, especially in traditional unionism (Orange Order etc.), pro-monarchy support from the main unionist parties and the identification of republicanism with Irish republican violence means that this position is, in practice, probably rare. No accurate statistical information is available for actual support for the current monarchy or an alternative British republic within unionism. Although there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that while support for the monarchy amongst unionists is not as universal as is commonly assumed, the attitude among those unionists who don't support the monarchy is mainly one of indifference rather than outright hostility towards the institution. The British republican movement is a movement in the United Kingdom which seeks to remove the British monarchy and replace it with a republic with an elected head of state. ... The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the province of Northern Ireland and in western Scotland but which has a worldwide membership. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... This article describes the British monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ...

The area currently known as Northern Ireland was ruled by the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell between 1649 and 1660 but the Commonwealth of Britain envisaged by Tony Benn would have ended British sovereignty in Northern Ireland. Motto: PAX, QUÆRITUR, BELLO (English: Peace is obtained by war)1 Capital London Head of State none Parliament Rump Parliament (1649-53), Barebones Parliament (1653) The Commonwealth was the republican government which ruled first England and then the whole of Ireland, the colonies and other Crown possessions during the... Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... The Commonwealth of Britain Bill was introduced by Tony Benn, who was then a Labour MP in the House of Commons, first in 1991. ... Tony Benn about to join March 2005 anti-war demo in London Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician on the left of the Labour Party. ...

The British Republic Campaign has no opinion on the union apart from the assumption that Northern Ireland should accept an elected head of state if a Republic is achieved (see [[4]]).

Southern / Neo-Unionism

After 1890 and particularly during the period from the start of the First World War to the mid 1920's the number of Unionists in what is now the Republic of Ireland declined to a point where their numbers were widely regarded as almost insignificant. This is attributed to a number of factors. 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Social issues of the 1920s. ...

• 1. World War I: A higher rate of participation in WWI amongst Irish Unionists than among Nationalists (who were split on the issue of Irish participation in WW1) combined with the very high casualty rate amongst Irish regiments in the conflict. (Note: military conscription did not apply in Ireland)

• 2. Terrorism: A campaign of murder and ethnic cleansing in parts of the country by some members of the IRA of Protestants and Unionists particularly during and after the Anglo-Irish War, although the degree to which this occurred is widely disputed.

• 3. Emigration: Large numbers Unionists leaving the Republic (voluntarily or otherwise) in the years before and after Irish independence mainly for Northern Ireland, Britain and Canada.

• 4. Assimilation: Many of those remaining to some degree underwent a gradual process of Cultural assimilation into Irish society and culture. This was encouraged (some would claim enforced) by the Free state government and was largely accepted as it was generally perceived that the issue of Unionism had (as far as the South was concerned) become "a lost cause" also during the Irish Civil War most Unionists found themselves supporting the Pro-treaty government (if only as "the lesser of two evils").

On the other hand to some extent the process of assimilation had begun even prior to Irish independence with many Protestants playing leading roles in the Irish Nationalist and Gaelic revival movements Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First World War, also known as... WWI may be an acronym for: World War I World Wrestling Industry This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... Terrorism refers to a strategy of using violence, social threats, or coordinated attacks, in order to generate fear, cause disruption, and ultimately, bring about compliance with specified political, religious, or ideological demands. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... The acronym IRA may refer to: Irish Republican Army See also List of IRAs Irish Republican Army, the self-proclaimed Army of the Irish Republic that fought the Irish War of Independence against British rule, 1916 - 1921 Irish Republican Army (1922-1969): Originally the Anti-Treaty or Republican side in... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Immigration. ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... Assimilation, from Latin assimilatio meaning to render similar, is used to describe various phenomena: schema (psychology), the process of assimilating new ideas into a schema (cognitive structure). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Flag of the now defunct Orange Free State Flag of the modern Free State of Bavaria The modern Republic of Ireland was known from 1922-1937 as the Irish Free State. ... Combatants Irish Republican Army (1922-1969) Irish Army of the Irish Free State Commanders Liam Lynch Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Strength c. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... An Irish nationalist is generally one who seeks (greater) independence of Ireland from Great Britain, including since 1921 the goal of a United Ireland. ...

• 5. Intermarriage and The Ne Temere decree: The decline in the numbers of Unionists reflected the decline in the Protestant Population in the Republic (Unionists were/are largely, though not exclusively Protestant) Much of which was down to the fact that In most areas of the Free state Protestants were a small minority of the population and the widespread practice of bringing children of mixed (Protestant/Roman Catholic) marriages up as Roman Catholics (often because of community/family pressure and the Ne Temere decree).

Some Unionists in the south simply adapted and began to associate themselves with the new southern Irish regime of William T. Cosgrave and Cumann na nGaedhael. On January 19, 1922, leading Unionists held a meeting and unanimously decided to support fully the government of the new Free State. Many gained appointment to the Irish Free State Senate, including the Earl of Dunraven as a Senator when Thomas Westropp Bennett an Anglo Irish Catholic was Cathaiorleach (pronounced 'ka-here-loch'). One Unionist political family, the Dockrells, joined and became TDs (MPs) over a number of generations for Cumann na nGaedhael and its successor party, Fine Gael (the governing party in the 1920s, the main opposition from 1932 onwards). Intermarriage normally refers to marriage between people belonging to different religions, tribes, nationalities or ethnic backgrounds. ... Ne Temere (literally meaning not rashly in Latin) is a decree (named for its opening words) of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Council declaring invalid any marriage of a Roman Catholic or any person who has ever been a Roman Catholic, unless contracted before a qualified Roman Catholic priest... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Ne Temere (literally meaning not rashly in Latin) is a decree (named for its opening words) of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Council declaring invalid any marriage of a Roman Catholic or any person who has ever been a Roman Catholic, unless contracted before a qualified Roman Catholic priest... William Thomas Cosgrave, ( June 6, 1880 - November 16, 1965) served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. ... Cumann na nGaedhael (League of the Gaels), sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal,[1] was an Irish language name given to two Irish political parties, the second of which had the greater impact. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... Cumann na nGaedhael (League of the Gaels), sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal,[1] was an Irish language name given to two Irish political parties, the second of which had the greater impact. ... Fine Gael (IPA , though often mispronounced (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) is the second largest political party in Ireland. ...

There are four Protestants in the current Dáil: Seymour Crawford, Mildred Fox, Jan O'Sullivan and Trevor Sargent. The Dublin borough of Rathmines had a unionist majority up to the late 1920s, when a local government re-organisation abolished all Dublin borough councils. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Seymour Crawford (born 1944 in Monaghan) is an Irish Fine Gael party politician who is currently TD for Cavan-Monaghan. ... Mildred Fox (born 1971) is an Irish independent politician and Teachta Dála (TD) for Wicklow. ... Jan OSullivan (b. ... Trevor Sargent TD Trevor Sargent is a senior Irish politician. ... Rathmines (Ráth Maonais in Irish) is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. ...

However, having lost their privileged status, most Irish Unionists simply withdrew from public life. The number of Protestants declined in the Irish Free State and in its successor state, the Republic of Ireland. IRA attacks in the 1920s drove away many who assisted the British in the Anglo-Irish War, in the process burning many historic homes as reprisals for the Crown forces' destruction of the homes and property of republicans, suspected or actual. The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... The succession of states theory asserts that all possessions and territory held by a state are automatically transferred to the successor state, the state which succeeds it. ... The West Cork Flying Column during the War of Independence. ... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... Irish Republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a united independent republic. ...

Others had suffered disproportionately in World War I, losing their sons and heirs on the bloodied fields of Flanders and the Somme. Some that remained became victims of the Roman Catholic Church's Ne Temere decree imposed by Pope Pius X, which required Catholics in mixed marriages to ensure that all children of the marriage were brought up to follow the Church of Rome. This decree contributed greatly to the religious divide in Ireland, and is still in force, but not followed as much as before, and Protestants have greater options nowadays, even in southern Ireland. Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First World War, also known as... Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen) has several main meanings: the social, political and cultural community of the Flemings, through its social and political organizations, its media, universities, ... ; some prefer to call this the Flemish community, other refers to this as the Flemish nation; a constituent governing institution of the federal Belgian... Somme is a French département, named after the Somme River, located in the north of France. ... Ne Temere (literally meaning not rashly in Latin) is a decree (named for its opening words) of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Council declaring invalid any marriage of a Roman Catholic or any person who has ever been a Roman Catholic, unless contracted before a qualified Roman Catholic priest... Pope Saint Pius X (Latin: ), born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto (June 2, 1835 – August 20, 1914), was Pope from 1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903). ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC (mythical), early 1st millennium BC (archaeological) Region Latium Area  - City Proper  1285 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,553,873 almost 4,300,000 1. ...

As a result, many eligible Protestant women, who because of the deaths of Protestant men in World War I were denied the availability of Protestant husbands, either married Catholics or remained unmarried, either way ending the Protestant family line. This reversed an earlier trend of Catholics becoming Protestant to avoid discrimination.

Furthermore, land reform from the 1870s to the 1900s broke up many of the large estates. Protestant families, who had owned most of the land, saw it returned to their largely Catholic tenantry. Many chose in the 1920s to use their compensation money to settle in Britain, often in other estates they owned there.

In addition, the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland from 1871 by an Act of Parliament led that Church to sell many of its estates and bishops' palaces, in the process laying off many Protestant workers who themselves then moved away. (Previously, the Church had had considerable wealth thanks to tithes (mandatory taxes) which the local Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist communities had to pay to the (Anglican) Church of Ireland. The loss of this money underlined the economic vulnerability of the Church of Ireland.) The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... A tithe (from Old English teogotha tenth) is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy, usually to support a Jewish or Christian religious organization. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ...

However, It is widely (if not universally) accepted that little evidence of widespread discrimination against Protestants in the Irish Free State/Éire exists. The first President of Ireland, Douglas Hyde (1938 – 1945), and the fourth, Erskine Hamilton Childers (1973-74), belonged to the Church of Ireland. Mary Robinson, nee Mary Bourke, the seventh President has both Catholic and Protestant branches in her family, and is married to a Protestant, Nicholas Robinson, although her children were raised as Roman Catholics (her parents boycotted her wedding). Map of Éire Éire (pronounced ) is the Irish name for Ireland. ... The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of the Republic of Ireland. ... Douglas Hyde (Irish name Dubhghlas de hÍde) (17 January 1860 - 12 July 1949) was an Irish language scholar who served as the first President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945. ... Erskine Hamilton Childers (11 November 1905 - 17 November 1974), the son of Robert Erskine Childers (author of The Riddle of the Sands), served as the fourth President of Ireland from 1973 until his death in 1974. ... The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... Mary Robinson (Irish name Máire Mhic Róibín; born 21 May 1944) was the first female President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. ...

Leading ex-Unionists like the Earl of Granard and the Provost of Trinity College Dublin gained appointment to the President of Ireland's advisory body, the Council of State. The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... The Council of State is the name of an organ of government in many states, and especially in republics. ...

Satellite view of the British Isles

Some people draw a distinction between membership of the "Unionist tradition" (those with a strong cultural or ethnic identification with Britain) and actually advocating Unionism as a political philosophy. There is also a distinction drawn between "Partitionist" Unionism (i.e. not desiring a United Ireland) and Neo-Unionism (the aspiration for Southern Ireland to reunify with Britain). The extent of support for which is widely regarded as negligible. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2781x4052, 1644 KB) Satellite image of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in April 2002. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2781x4052, 1644 KB) Satellite image of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in April 2002. ...

Southern Irish Unionists are sometimes referred to as "Anglo-Irish" (or sometimes in the case of Ulster "Scots-Irish" or in America, "Scotch-Irish") or (often disparingly) "West British". Anglo-Irish was a term used historically to describe middle and upper class inhabitants of Ireland who were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy[1], mostly belonging to the Anglican Church of Ireland or to a lesser extent one of the English dissenting churches, such as the Methodist... West Briton (adjective West British) is a derogatory term for an Irish person who has sympathies towards Britain. ...

The study of Irish history from a Unionist perspective is known in The Republic of Ireland as revisionist history, although some Catholic writers are regarded as revisionists, such as Kevin Myers and Eoghan Harris. In Parson Weems Fable (1939) Grant Wood takes a sly poke at a traditional hagiographical account of George Washington Historical revisionism is the reexamination of historical facts, with an eye towards updating histories with newly discovered, more accurate, or less biased information. ... Kevin Myers is an Irish journalist and commentator. ...

However, many historians have come to view that the accepted and traditional view of the history of the British Isles, particularly that of the history of the Gaels, was already subject to historical revisionism (for example, in the Book of the Taking of Ireland, known as The Book of Invasions). Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland) is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish race from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages. ...

While Southern Unionists in many regards identify with their Northern Counterparts one respect in which they differ is describing themselves as "Irish Unionists" Many Northern unionists no longer like to regard themselves as Irish at all because while the term may be geographically correct it is often perceived as being synonymous with Gaelic culture (which is associated with nationalism and with which few Unionists identify) and prefer the term Ulster Unionist. Southern Unionists however contend that "Irish” does not necessarily imply "Gaelic” and the term "Ulster Unionist" is both geographically incorrect (part of Ulster is in the Republic of Ireland) and excludes Unionists from the other three Irish provinces (Leinster, Munster and Connaught). The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is one that is Gaelic (Goidelic), a division of Insular Celtic languages. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a political party in Northern Ireland representing the unionist community, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ... Munster (Irish: An Mhumhain, IPA: ) is the southernmost province of Ireland, comprising the counties of Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. ... Connaught redirects here. ...

Today, except for the minuscule Irish Unionist Alliance founded in the 1990s, Unionism no longer exists in the 26 Counties as a political option.

Resources

Wikipedia

Unionism in Northern Ireland Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843...

• The Border
• Demographics and politics of Northern Ireland
• Government of Ireland Act 1920
• The News Letter
• Scots-Irish
• Ulster Loyalist

Southern / Neo-Unionism The Republic of Ireland-United Kingdom border, also referred to as The Irish border, or (in Ireland) as The Border, is the international boundary between the north-east part of Ireland, Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the rest of Ireland, which forms the Republic of... The vast majority of the population of Northern Ireland identifies with one of two different ideologies, unionist (who want the region to remain part of the United Kingdom) and nationalist (who want a united Ireland). ... 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 News Letter is one of Northern Irelands main daily newspapers, published Monday to Saturday. ... Ulster-Scots is a term mainly used in Ireland and Britain (Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irishis commonly used in North America) primarily to refer to Presbyterian Scots, or their descendents, who migrated from the Scottish Lowlands to Ulster (the northern province of Ireland), largely across the 17th century. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Unionists (Ireland). ...

• Act of Union 1800
• 1918 General Election
• Anglo-Irish
• Donegal Progressive Party
• Ireland Act 1949
• Irish Unionist Alliance
• Language Freedom Movement
• Reform Movement
• West Brits

Wider Interests The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... The Irish general election of 1918 was that part of the 1918 United Kingdom general election that took place in Ireland. ... Anglo-Irish was a term used historically to describe middle and upper class inhabitants of Ireland who were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy[1], mostly belonging to the Anglican Church of Ireland or to a lesser extent one of the English dissenting churches, such as the Methodist... The Ireland Act 1949 is a UK Act of Parliament which was intended to deal with the consequences of the then recently passed Republic of Ireland Act 1948 as passed by the Irish parliament (Oireachtas). ... Founded in 1966, the Language Freedom Movement was an organization dedicated to the opposition of the state-sponsored Gaelic Revival of the Irish language in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Reform Movement is an organisation in the Republic of Ireland which seeks to counter what it feels are outdated and extremist elements of Irish nationalism. ... West Briton (adjective West British) is a derogatory term for an Irish person who has sympathies towards Britain. ...

• Commonwealth
• European Union
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Scottish Unionism

The English noun Commonwealth dates originally from the fifteenth century. ... Unionists, in Scotland, are those who support the union between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. ...

Articles

• Anonymous (2005) Obelus.org "Ulster Unionism: dead but not gone"
• Coulter, J. (2005) Open Republic "Revolutionary Unionism"
• Hastings, M. (2005) The Guardian "The last writhings of a society left beached by history"
• Langhammer, M. (2005) The North Belfast News "Analysis of the Malaise in Protestant Heartlands."
• Peacocke, D. (2003) The Observer "A job to be done"
• Wheatcroft, G. (1998) New Statesman "Ethnic cleansing in the Free State - Protestants in the Republic of Ireland"

Books & Reports

• Alcock, A. (1994) Understanding Ulster (chap 2) The Unloved, Unwanted Garrison - The Unionist Community in Northern Ireland. Lurgan : Ulster Society
• Buckland, Patrick Irish Unionism I: The Anglo-Irish and the New Ireland, 1885-1922, Dublin: 1972.
• Buckland, Patrick Irish Unionism II: Ulster Unionism and the Origins of Northern Ireland, 1886-1922, Dublin: 1973.
• Farrington, C. (2006) Ulster Unionism and the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Cochrane, F. (1997) Unionist Politics and the Politics of Unionism since the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Cork : Cork University Press.
• Fealty, M., Ringland, T. & Steven D. (2003) A Long Peace? The Future of Unionism in Northern Ireland
• Jackson, Alvin The Ulster Party: Irish Unionists in the House of Commons, 1884-1911, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
• Jackson, Alvin Colonel Edward Sanunderson: Land and Loyalty in Victorian Ireland, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
• McCartney, R. (2001) Reflections on Liberty, Democracy and The Union. Dublin : Maunsel.
• McDonald, H. (2000) Trimble. Bloomsbury.
• Porter, N. (1996) Rethinking Unionism: an alternative vision for Northern Ireland. Blackstaff : Belfast.
• http://www.cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/politics/docs/shirlow97.htm
• Walker, G. (2004) A History of the Ulster Unionist Party. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Manifestos

The following Unionist parties have contested at least one election in Northern Ireland since 2001 and produced online manifestos (all PDF format):

Conservative and Unionist Party

• Westminster 2001
• Assembly 2003
• Westminster 2005

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)

• Westminster 2001
• Assembly 2003
• Westminster 2005

Progressive Unionist Party (PUP)

• Assembly 2003

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)

• Westminster 2001
• Assembly 2003
• Westminster 2005

Speeches

• Donaldson, J. (2004) The Bruges Group "The European Union - an Unionist/Ulster perspective"
• HM The Queen (2002) Golden Jubilee Address to the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Trimble, D. (1998) Nobel Peace Prize
• Trimble, D. (2001) Conservative Party Conference

Websites

Analytical
Analytical sites do not necessarily imply support for political causes:

• Act of Union 1800 Archive
• British Council : website on Anglo-Irish relationships
• Cadogan Group
• Devolution and Constitutional Change Project
• Irish Association
• Ulster Covenant 1913 Archive

Cultural

Lambeg Drum competition in Tyrone on 12th July

Cultural sites do not necessarily imply support for political causes:
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x409, 31 KB)lambeg drum competition at coagh, county tyrone 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x409, 31 KB)lambeg drum competition at coagh, county tyrone 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

• Apprentice Boys of Derry
• Belfast Newsletter
• Belfast Proms in the Park
• Glasgow Rangers Football Club (largely unionist following)
• Independent Order Order
• Orange Order
• Royal Black Institution
• Ulster Scots Agency
• Ulster Society

Integrationist (with Great Britain)

• British Republic Campaign
• Conservative Party in Northern Ireland
• Friends of the Union (archive)
• Labour in Northern Ireland Campaign

Legal
A number of Acts of Parliament and other laws provide a legal framework for the union:

• Act of Union 1800
• Government of Ireland Act 1920
• Ireland Act 1949
• Northern Ireland Act 1998
• Memorandum of Understanding (Devolution)
• Concordat between NIO and Northern Ireland Executive

Political Parties

• Conservative and Unionist Party
• Democratic Unionist Party
• Progressive Unionist Party
• Ulster Unionist Party

Southern / Neo-Unionist

• Dublin Glasgow Rangers Supporters Club
• Irish Unionist Alliance
• Reform Movement
• Trinity College Unionist Association (archive)

Structural

UK Passport

Some official agencies and organisations at a national level have developed specific structural links as part of the union. These links reflect the responsibilities of the agency or organisation to the citizens of Northern Ireland and the other UK regions. However, they do not indicate support for political unionism as the UK Civil Service is regulated by strict laws on impartiality. In addition, Northern Ireland is nowadays part of a web of co-operative links with the Republic of Ireland (north-south), the whole British Isles (east-west), the European Union and the USA. Burgundy passport cover of United Kingdom passport File links The following pages link to this file: British nationality law ... Burgundy passport cover of United Kingdom passport File links The following pages link to this file: British nationality law ... Dieu et mon droit (motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official Languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked 4th UK 13,843... Location of the North-West European Archipelago. ...

Ceremonial

• Privy Council
• The Queen

Central Government

• 10 Downing Street
• Government Internet Portal
• Government News Network (GNN)
• Northern Ireland Office
• Scotland Office
• Wales Office

Co-operation

• North-South Ministerial Council
• British Isles Council
• Office of the Northern Ireland Executive, Brussels
• Northern Ireland Bureau, Washington DC

Devolution

• Northern Ireland Assembly
• Northern Ireland Executive
• Northern Ireland Internet Portal
• Scottish Executive
• Scottish Parliament
• Welsh Assembly

Parliament

• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
• Northern Ireland Grand Committee 2005/2006
• Scottish Affairs Committee
• Welsh Affairs Committee
• Welsh Grand Committee 2005/2006