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Organisations in Ireland
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
This page gives information on the various governmental, military, police, political, religious, terrorist and pressure groups that exist in Ireland today. Each one includes, if available, a link to the web site of the organisation. If you feel that an organisation is missing that should be included, please feel free to contact us. The groups are arranged in alphabetical order for your convenience.

Recent updates: Northern Ireland Office (24 Jan 01), Ulster Democratic Party (23 Jan 01), Ulster Defence Association (23 Jan 01)

 

Name: Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The Alliance Party was founded in 1970 with the expressed aim of creating "a fair, just, peaceful and prosperous society in Northern Ireland". It felt that people were fed up with politics which was based around the issue of the Union, and instead decided to concentrate on 'bread and butter' issues such as education and health. It totally rejects terrorism and has no military connections. The party has had mixed success - it has only really gained significant support from middle-class Protestants, areas where its vote can be as high as 25%. However, it over the whole of Northern Ireland is scored around 10% of the votes. The Alliance Party was involved in the peace talks and supports the Good Friday Agreement. However, since the Agreement, the Alliance Party appears to have lost a lot of its support with a vote of 3.6% in the 2001 election, down from 8.0% in 1997. It has 6 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly, although no seats in the overall UK Parliament. Its current leader is Sean Neeson who was elected to the post in Septemnber 1998. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Apprentice Boys Type: Religious Organisation
About: The Apprentice Boys were founded in the 1850s. They are a predominantly Protestant religious order and are based in the city of Derry, in county Londonderry. They are named after the young apprentice boys of Derry who closed the gates of the city (which was then almost wholly Protestant) against King James 2nd's army in 1688, resulting in a prolonged siege. (Catholic King James was fighting Protestant King William 3rd at the time, the prize being the sovereignty of England. William eventually won in 1690.) The organisation is not large (12,000 members in Ireland), and organises parades mainly in Derry and elsewhere in Northern Ireland. One of these parades is around the walls of Derry city, which have survived since King James' siege, and it is this parade which generally reaches the media, since it is visible from the mainly Catholic Bogside area of Derry.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Bogside Residents' Group Type: Pressure Group
About: The Bogside Residents' Group was formed in 1995 to oppose Apprentice Boys' and Orange Parades in Derry city, which they see as sectarian. Derry has been plagued by violence at parades for the past few years as a result of clashes between rival groups and the police. In the past couple of years, however, the Apprentice Boys have been able to reach an agreement with the BRG. Their current leader is Donncha MacNiallais [Denis Nelis]. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) Type: Terrorist Umbrella
About: The CLMC was a umbrella organisation for 2 Loyalist terrorist groups - the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association - to provide a common loyalist front and to pool resources. The alliance was used during the Troubles, but collapsed after the peace process and the two organisations were subsequently engaged in a feud which claimed several lives. Although the feud is now over, the CLMC appears to have been buried in the past. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) Type: Terrorist Group
About: Also known as the Continuity Army Council (CAC), the CIRA splintered away from the Provisional IRA around 1996. With the 'Real' IRA, it is one of the two organisations collectively known as the 'dissident Republicans'. The CIRA disagrees with the current peace process and wishes to see a return to violence. It has carried out sporadic attacks since then, including some bombings. Talks to merge with the 'Real' IRA in the late 1998-99 period broke down without success. Some CIRA members have been joining the 'Real' IRA which is generally regarded as a greater threat to peace. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: No web presence known of.
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Name: Democratic Left Type: Republic of Ireland Political Party
About: The Democratic Left is a socialist party. In 1997 it was amalgamated into the Labour Party, continuing the pattern of consolidation of Irish left-wing parties. Their leader was Proinsias de Rossa, who is now a leading figure in the Labour party.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The DUP, or UDUP as it is formally known, was founded in 1971 by Dr Ian Paisley to oppose what he saw as appeasement of Republicanism in the Northern Ireland parliament. It is more fundamental than the Ulster Unionist Party, and has a more religious slant. (Not least because Dr Paisley is the founder of the [non-ecumenical] Free Presbyterian church.) The party grew quite quickly and today has 20 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly, 5 in the overall UK Parliament and 1 in the European Union Parliament. It fought a very successful election in 2001 where it increased its share of the vote from 13.6% in 1997 to 22.5% in 2001, mainly at the expense of the more moderate UUP, continuing the trend of polarisation that has followed the Good Friday Agreement. The DUP was against the peace talks, on the grounds that the government should not talk to terrorists, and is against the Good Friday Agreement. However, despite this, it is cooperating to some degree with the new Assembly. The party leader is still Dr Paisley, although his advancing age means he does not appear in public as often as he used to. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Families Acting For Innocent Relatives (FAIR) Type: Pressure Group
About: FAIR was set up in 1998 as a pressure group to protest against the early release of terrorist prisoners (one of the terms of the Good Friday Agreement) and to press for more compensation for victims of violence. It is open to members from both the Protestant and the Catholic community and is based in south Armagh. Its secretary is Brian McConnell. The organisaiton became somewhat redundant when all terrorist prisoners were released by late 1999, but they still hold protests.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT) Type: Pressure Group
About: FAIT was set up in 1990 to speak for what it saw as the silent majority of Northern Ireland citizens who are against sectarianism and violence. They are open to members of both the Protestant and Catholic communities, oppose all forms of terrorism and support the Good Friday Agreement. One of FAIT's activities in the past few years is to keep logs of terrorist activity by both sides in Northern Ireland. These can be found in detail on their web page.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
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Name: Fianna Fáil Type: Irish Republic Political Party
About: Fianna Fáil was founded in 1926 by Eamon de Valera. At the time it was formed, the party was not satisfied with the level of independence that the Irish Free State had received, and it wanted to cut more ties with the United Kingdom. It succeeded with these aims in 1936 by abolishing the Free State and creating the state of 'Eire', which substantially reduced British influence in Ireland. Fianna Fáil still refers to itself as the 'Republican Party', although it is dedicated to peaceful methods and does not have connections to any terrorist activity. Today it is the largest party in the Republic of Ireland and its leader, Bertie Ahern, is the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the country. The phrase "Fianna Fáil" is Irish for "Soldiers of Destiny".
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Fine Gael Type: Irish Republic Political Party
About: Cumann na nGaedheal, as it was originally known, was founded in 1926. It was the party that led the country through the first years of Independence until Fianna Fail gained power in the 1930s. Once it regained power in 1948, it was responsible for the formation of the Republic of Ireland, when it pulled the country out of the British Commonwealth a year later. Today, Fine Gael is an opposition party in the Irish Parliament. Its leader was John Bruton until he was voted out on 31 January 2001. The phrase "Fine Gael" is Irish for "Family of the Irish".
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Garda Síochána Type: Police Department
About: The Garda, or 'Guards' as they are more commonly known, are the police force in the Republic of Ireland. The Garda and their Northern Ireland counterparts (the RUC) have cooperated greatly in recent years in the fight against terrorism, and the interception of several large Republican bombs has been attributed to the Garda. They are a widely regarded and respected force across the Republic. The current Garda Commissioner is M.P. Byrne. The phrase "Garda Síochána" is Irish for "Guardians of the Peace".
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition Type: Pressure Group
About: The Garvaghy Road Resident's Coalition was set up in 1995 in the Garvaghy Road area of Portadown, Northern Ireland, to represent the local Catholic residents. Their main aim is to oppose the annual Orange parade which passes through the area which they see as offensive. They have succeeded in this aim for the past 2 years. The 1998 parade was marred by violence, although the 1999 demonstrations passed off peacefully. The current leader of the GRRC is Brendan McKenna.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
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Name: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) Type: Terrorist Group
About: The INLA was founded in 1974 with the aim of achieving a communist united Ireland by force. A splinter group, the IPLO, broke away from the INLA in 1987. At the start of the 'Troubles' it committed several atrocities and murdered a total of 110 people. Today it is very small, although it stepped up its attacks in the wake of the IRA ceasefire. In mid 1998 it formed an alliance with the CAC and the Real IRA. On 7 August 1999, it announced that "the war is over". It said that it saw no point in continuing an armed struggle. It has close ties to the Irish Republican Socialist Party.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO) Type: Terrorist Group
About: The IPLO was founded in 1987 as a splinter group from the INLA. It has the aim of achieving a socialist united Ireland by force and is a small organisation. In 1992 it announced that it was disbanding and that its members would join the Provisional IRA, although it has been heard from as recently as 1996.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: (Provisional) Irish Republican Army (IRA or PIRA) Type: Terrorist Group
About: The IRA is one of the best funded and best equipped terrorist organisations in the world. Originally set up in 1913 as the (initially legal) 'Irish Volunteer Force' to oppose the Ulster Volunteer Force, it was renamed the Irish Republican Army in 1919. After the Irish Civil War it fell into the background, despite sporadic appearences in the mid 20th century. When the IRA refused to take up arms and fight during the bloody years of civil unrest 1969-71, dissidents spawned the Provisional IRA in 1971 - those disenchanted with the official IRA leadership. The PIRA began a terrorist campaign which lasted for 26 years, and was soon outlawed in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Since 1971 it has been responsible for 1696 murders (49% of the total deaths in the Troubles) and hundreds of bombs. A lot of the IRA's money comes from sympathetic sources in the USA, and a lot of their arms are purchased from Libya, the USA and more recently Yugoslavia. Most people believe that the political party Sinn Féin is closely linked with the IRA. There have been at least 2 splits within the IRA since 1996. First the CIRA broke off in 1996 and then the 32-Counties Sovereignty Committee was formed in late 1997 and, inadvertently or otherwise, attracting other members to join the 'Real' IRA. The IRA is currently on ceasefire (although a murder in May 2000 was attributed to the IRA) and appears to support the Good Friday Agreement. They agreed to decommission their arms under the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and in May 2000 they made an historic promise to put their arms "beyond use" but to date they have not handed over any weapons. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) Type: All-Ireland Political Party
About: In 1974 Sinn Fein dropped its policy of abstention from the Irish Republic's Parliament. Some members disagreed with this decision, feeling that Sinn Fein should not be present in any 'partitionist' institutions, and so in December 1974 they left and formed the IRSP. It is a fundamental Republican party with the aim of uniting Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic as a single independent socialist country. The party freely admits that it has close links with the terrorist organisation, the INLA.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
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Name: Labour Type: Irish Republic Political Party
About: The Irish Labour Party was founded in 1912, making it one of the oldest parties in Ireland. It is socialist in nature, and in 1990 it merged with the Democratic Socialist Party, and in 1992 with the Independent Socialist Party. In 1997 it merged with the Democratic Left. Its current leader is Ruairi Quinn. Although not the largest party in Ireland, the Labour Party has seen power through coalition governments.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Lower Ormeau Concerned Community (LOCC) Type: Pressure Group
About: The Lower Ormeau Concerned Community is a pressure group representing the people of the lower Ormeau area of Belfast. High among their objectives is to prevent or limit Orange and Appentice Boys parades from going down the lower Ormeau Road, which they see as offensive. The LOCC and the Orange Order have managed to come to an accommodation on several of these parades, although accommodation seems to have broken down in the past 2 years. The LOCC's current leader is Gerard Rice and was formed in 1995.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) Type: Terrorist Group
About: The LVF was formed in 1996 when the mid-Ulster brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force broke away under the leadership of Billy "King Rat" Wright. It wants to retain Northern Ireland's position as part of the UK but is against the Good Friday Agreement. After Billy Wright was shot dead in the Maze prison on 27th December 1997 by a member of the INLA, the LVF stepped up its attacks on Catholics in what it called 'a measured military response'. It declared a ceasefire on 15 May 1998 and reconfirmed it on 5 July 1998 after being blamed for attacks on Catholic churches earlier that month. On 8 August 1998 they declared that their war was over for good. They are the only terrorist group to have decommissioned any weapons under the Good Friday Agreement, but it did not hand in many and the gesture may have been a ploy to secure the early release of LVF prisoners. The LVF is currently engaged in a feud with the UVF and seems to have allied itself with the UVF's main rival, the UDA.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Northern Ireland Forum Type: Government Structure
About: The Forum was founded in 1995, at the start of the peace process, by an election in Northern Ireland. It was disbanded on 24 April 1998 after the Good Friday Agreement made it redundant. Its purpose was to bring together the various political parties so that they could talk about their differences and to encourage constructive debate. Although elected, Sinn Fein did not attend and the SDLP pulled out after a period, claiming it was a 'Unionist talking shop'. At the end, it consisted of the UUP, DUP, UKUP, NIWC, PUP, Alliance and UDP.
Web site: No web presence known of.
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Name: Northern Ireland Human Rights Bureau Type: Pressure Group
About: The NIHRB was founded in early 1999 to campaign for awareness of the human rights abuses carried out by terrorist groups in Northern Ireland. They compile statistics on human rights abuses carried out by Loyalist and Republican terrorists, including the Provisional IRA, UVF, UDA, dissident Republicans (i.e. the 'real' IRA and CIRA) and the LVF. They also want all groups linked to organisations that continue to carry out these abuses to be banned from government. The parties involved here are the PUP, UDP and Sinn Féin. The current leader is Vincent McKenna, a former IRA member who now spends his time campaigning against terrorism. Vincent McKenna was jailed for 3 years in November 2000 after being found guilty of 31 charges of sexual abuse of his daughter. It is not known if the NIHRB will survive this, as Mr McKenna ran it alone.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Northern Ireland Liberation Force Type: Terrorist Group
About: The NILF was first heard from on 16 May 1998 when it claimed responsibility for a pipe bomb attack on a pub in county Tyrone. Within 24 hours it declared a ceasefire, and is most likely a small group of people acting alone. It is very likely to be a loyalist group although they have not made any statements of aims.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Northen Ireland Office Type: Government Structure
About: The Northern Ireland Office was founded in 1972 by the UK government to replace the Northern Ireland Parliament (commonly referred to as 'Stormont') which was abolished at that time. It deals with political, constitutional, security and justice issues in the province. Because it replaced the Stormont Parliament, it is viewed with contempt by some Unionists. It was the NIO that represented the UK government at the peace talks. Its current head is Mr John Reid, MP who succeeded Peter Mandelson on 24 January 2001.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Northern Ireland Unionist Party (NIUP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The NIUP was formed when the UKUP split on 5th January 1999. They have fairly hard line Unionist views, and are against the Good Friday Agreement. Nevertheless, their main policy is not to leave the Assembly even if Sinn Fein takes its seats in the Executive. It has 4 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly. However, as the split occured after the last election, the NIUP has never received a direct mandate so their support is unknown. They did not do particularly well in the 2001 election, securing a tiny 0.2% share of the vote. The party leader is Cedric Wilson. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
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Name: Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The Women's Coalition was founded in 1996 to work for "reconciliation through dialogue" and to increase the role of women in politics. It is non religious, is against terrorism and does not take a view on the union. It was involved in the peace talks and supports the Good Friday Agreement, and has 2 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly. The party leader is Monica McWilliams.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Orange Order Type: Religious Organisation
About: The Orange Order is a worldwide organisation named after William of Orange. It was founded in 1795 to promote the Protestant religion and to point out what is sees as the errors in Catholicism. Needless to say, this has caused contention, particularly with the (usually annual) Orange marches. It condemns violence, although in recent years it's distributed nature has meant that it has found it hard to control many of its extremist members. This resulted in a number of members being dismissed in the mid 1990s for poor behaviour during Orange parades, especially on Belfast's Ormeau Road. The Order currently has around 80,000 members in Northern Ireland, with thousands more across the world. The Order has amassed huge amounts of money over the years, and uses this to run other groups, such as orphanages, and provides assistance for the agricultural community. It has come under increased pressure since 1995 by some Nationalists who accuse them of being sectarian by marching through or near Catholic areas. After the 1998 Drumcree parade was re-routed on 5 July 1998 it triggered wide ranging violence and civil unrest across Northern Ireland. (Although since then, Orange protests were more peaceful.)
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Orange Volunteers Type: Terrorist Group
About: Although the Orange Volunteers borrow their name from an earlier organization of the same name, it was formed in November 1998. There are rumours that the older organisation still exists, so potentially there could be two organisations with the same name. It is a loyalist group whose aims are to target members of the Republican movement, specifically the IRA, Sinn Fein and released Republican prisoners. It initially said it would not attack civilians, but it reversed this policy in early January 1999. It is not known how large they are, although it has at least 6 members and some weapons. They are not on ceasefire. Despite the name, it is believed that the organization has no links to the Orange Order.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Parades Commission Type: Government Structure
About: The Parades Commission was set up in 1997 by the UK government to oversee contentious marches from both traditions in Northern Ireland . This was because the RUC was finding its position as a police force compromised when it had to decide on whether or not to permit marches. The current chairman is Tony Holland (since 16 Feb 2000). It is shrouded in controversy and was plagued by resignations in its first year. The Orange Order does not even recognise the Commission's existance and, in early July 1998, vowed to ignore its rulings. However, in the 1999 marching season, it appeared to be largely obeying the rulings. Some cooperation was withdrawn in 2000 and the 2001 situation is not yet clear.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
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Name: Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Type: Police Department
About: The PSNI is the name given to the new police force created for Northern Ireland under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Its members will initially be made up of former RUC officers, but plans are in effect to increase membership from the Catholic community through a 50-50 recruitment drive. This new name will take effect from Autumn 2001.
Web site: No web presence as yet.
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Name: Progressive Democrats Type: Irish Republic Political Party
About: The Progressive Democrats were founded in December 1985. Although not a particularly large party, the Progressive Democrats are currently in power in the Republic of Ireland as part of a coalition with Fianna Fáil. In terms of policies, they are a liberal party. Their current leader is Mary Harney.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The PUP was founded in 1979, but became prominent in 1990 when it became the voice of the terrorist organisation, the UVF. Although very loyalist in nature, the PUP was involved in the peace talks and is the only Unionist party to have unwavering support for the Good Friday Agreement. It has 2 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly. Its support is rising, but is likely to hit a glass ceiling due to its terrorist connections. Its leader is David Ervine.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: "Real" Irish Republican Army Type: Terrorist Group
About: The Real IRA is very new, appearing in late 1997, and is a splinter from the Provisional IRA that is opposed to the Good Friday Agreement and wants to carry on the "armed struggle". It has claimed responsibility for many recent non-trivial attacks, and is probably the most dangerous of the dissident Republican groups. It has about 150 members and probably has access to the IRA's arsenal of weaponry. It may have links to the 32 Counties Sovereignty Committee. On 19th August 1998 it declared a ceasefire, after claiming responsibility for the massacre in Omagh 4 days previously, where it oversaw the murder of 29 innocent civilians. In 1998-99 it negotiated to form an alliance with the CIRA, but these talks failed with the 'Real' IRA emerging as the dominant 'dissident Republican' group. In early 2000 a number of attacks were attributed to the 'Real' IRA, raising suspicions that their ceasefire is over. Its name is unofficial and evolved by accident, when members were trying to make it clear that they regarded themselves as the genuine IRA. (Updated July 2001)
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Red Hand Commando Type: Terrorist Group
About: The Red Hand Commando is an elite loyalist terrorist grouping within the Ulster Volunteer Force (see below). It is the Red Hand Commando that carries out most attacks in the UVF name. Not to be confused with the Red Hand Defenders.
Web site: No web presence known of.
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Name: Red Hand Defenders Type: Terrorist Group
About: The Red Hand Defenders is relatively new, and was most active in 1998 where it was present during July's Drumcree standoff. It is highly sectarian in nature and concentrates on attacking Catholic targets rather than Republican ones. It is thought to have carried out several arson attacks on Catholic churches. It has also claimed at least 2 murders, one of a Catholic RUC policeman in July 1998 and another of a Catholic man in October. It may be a splinter from the UVF and is not on ceasefire. Not to be confused with the Red Hand Commando.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Republican Sinn Féin Type: All-Ireland Political Party
About: Republican Sinn Féin was founded in 1986 as an objection to Sinn Féin's decision to take up its seats in the Irish Parliament, dropping its policy of abstention from "partitionist" institutions. It is opposed to the peace process, and sees itself as the true Sinn Féin. It may have ties to the Continuity IRA. The current party leader is Ruairí Ó Brádaigh.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Royal Irish Regiment Type: Military Organisation
About: The RIR is the branch of the UK Army that was created to help the police maintain order in Northern Ireland during the 'troubles'. It is the main force that is used when violence erupts on the streets of Northern Ireland. About half of the RIR soldiers are Northern Ireland citizens, although they are predominantly Protestant. 299 deaths have been attributed to the RIR and its predecessors since 1969. The RIR has seen action across the world, also: for example as part of the K-FOR force in Kosovo. It was called the Ulster Defence Regiment until 1992.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Royal Ulster Constabulary Type: Police Department
About: The RUC is the name of the police in Northern Ireland, which was set up in 1922, shortly after Partition. It has one of the most difficult roles to play, balancing charges of favouritism and conspiracy by both sides. The job of deciding whether or not to re-route marches was taken off the RUC and placed onto the Parades Commission in 1997. 56 deaths during the Troubles have been attributed to the RUC. The RUC themselves lost many members during the 'Troubles', and the force is to receive the Victoria Cross in 2000 for its services during the 'Troubles'. The organisation is currently striving to attract more Roman Catholics into the force and underwent an Independent Policing Review, as required under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement (see Police Service of Northern Ireland, above) and will be known as the RUC until Autumn 2001. The current Chief Constable is Ronnie Flanaghan.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
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Name: Sinn Féin Type: All-Ireland Political Party
About: Sinn Féin was set up in 1905 by Arthur Griffith and has the aim of uniting all the people of Ireland in a united, self-governing socialist republic. This makes it the oldest political party in Ireland. Sinn Féin almost certainly has close ties to the IRA and has never openly condemned the organisation's campaign of terrorism. In 2001 it became the largest nationalist party in terms of votes and has 4 seats in the overall UK Parliament, but does not take them up as part of their policy of abstention. It has 18 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly and has taken these up. Its popularity has been rising sharply, standing at 16.1% in 1997 and 21.7% in 2001. It was involved in the peace talks and supports the Good Friday Agreement. Its current leader is Gerry Adams. The phrase "Sinn Féin" is Irish for "We Ourselves".
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The SDLP was founded in 1970 and as of 2001 is the smaller of the two nationalist partys in Northern Ireland. It aims for a united Ireland, but by democratic means. It is also socialist in nature, totally rejects terrorism and has no military links. It was involved in the peace talks and supports the Good Friday Agreement. It has 24 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly, 3 seats in the overall UK parliament and 1 in the European Union Parliament. Its support has fallen off since the Good Friday Agreement, standing at 21.0% in 2001 compared to 24.1% in 1997. Its current leader is Mark Durkan, elected on 11 November 2001 following the stepping-down of long-standing leader and Nobel Prize winner John Hume. (Updated Dec 2001)
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Socialist Workers Party Type: All Ireland Political Party
About: The Socialist Workers Party is an all-Ireland party that believes that socialist policies are the answer to the problems of the working classes in Ireland and also that it offers a credible alternative to Unionism and Republicanism in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1974 as the Socialist Workers' Movement and re-named in 1996. It is led by a committee of 8 who are elected once a year.
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
 
Name: Spirit of Drumcree Type: Pressure Group
About: The Spirit of Drumcree group was set up in the mid 1990s from members of the Orange Order to oppose what it saw as appeasement of Republicans on the issue of Orange Marches. Since then it has taken stands on other issues, most notably the Good Friday Agreement to which it is opposed. Its current leader is Joel Patton who was subsequently expelled from the Orange Order. It has not been in the news as much since 1998.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Spirit of the Union Type: Pressure Group
About: The Spirit of the Union is an internal pressure group of the Orange Order and first made an appearance in early May 1998. After the Orange leadership decided to recommend a No vote, this group was formed to campaign to urge Orangemen to ignore this ruling and vote as they saw fit. It believes that the 80,000 Northern Ireland Orangemen should not have been given an official line for voting. It has not been heard from since the May 22 Referrendum and has probably been dissolved.
Web site: No web presence known of.
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Name: 32-County Sovereignty Committee Type: Terrorist Group
About: The 32-Counties Sovereignty Committee is believed to be a terrorist organisation, although it usually meets in secret and not a lot is known about it. It was set up in November 1997 by dissident Republicans who were opposed to the peace process and wish to continue the 'armed struggle'. It has been quietly arming and recriting members since then. It is likely that it is linked to the "Real" IRA: the group that carried out the Omagh bomb in August 1998. Following this event, the people of Dundalk, in the Irish Republic, forced the alleged leadership of the Committee [Bernadette Sands-McKevitt and Michael McKevitt] to close their shop and then to flee the town where they lived. It has kept a low profile since then, although it is still active.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Ulster Defence Association (UDA) Type: Terrorist Group
About: The UDA was founded in 1971 as a response to the stepping up of attacks by the IRA. Today it is the largest loyalist terrorist group in Northern Ireland. Since its foundation, the UDA has been responsible for 102 murders and attacks in Northern Ireland. It is currently on ceasefire, although it has allegedly been involved in several recent attacks. The long running UVF/UDA alliance (which went under the name CLMC) broke down in the mid 1990s and the UDA was engaged in a feud with the UVF in the second half of 2000 which claimed several lives. Until the collapse of the party late in 2001, the UDA had been represented by the Ulster Democratic Party and supported the Good Friday Agreement. The organisation now has no political representation. (updated Dec 2001.)
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) Type: Military Organisation
About: The UDR was the name of one of the organisations that became part of the new Royal Irish Regiment whenl the army in Northern Ireland was restructured in 1992. See "Royal Irish Regiment", above.
Web site: N/A
 
Name: Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The UDP was a fringle loyalist political party until it was dissolved on 28 November 2001 following a major internal row and a breakdown of relations with the loyalist terrorist organisation, the UDA, for which the UDP had been spokespersons during the first years of the peace process. The UDP's was a small party and had no seats in any governmental institution. It supported the Good Friday Agreement until January 2001 when growing disquiet with the way the peace process was proceeding led to a split within the party that led to the breakup later in the year. Its last leader was Gary McMichael. (updated Dec 2001)
Web site: Click here to open the site in a new window
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Name: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) Type: Terrorist Group
About: The Ulster Freedom Fighters are an elite loyalist group within the Ulster Defence Association (see above). It was responsible for 149 murders during the Troubles.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The UUP is a party whose aim it is to preserve the status of Northern Ireland as part of the UK which, it believes, benefits the people of Northern Ireland more than unification with the Republic of Ireland would. The UUP was founded in 1905 to provide a united front against Irish Home Rule. The party totally rejects terrorism and has no military connections. It is the largest party in Northern Ireland, and the 4th largest in the UK. It has 28 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly, 6 seats in the overall UK Parliament and 1 in the European Union Parliament. It was involved in the peace talks and the majority of members support the Good Friday Agreement, although a considerable minority do not. The party forced the suspension of the Executive in early 2000 following the failure of the IRA to begin decommissioning, rejoined after an IRA promise to "put arms beyond use" in May 2000 but left again in July 2001 following the continued failure by the IRA to begin decommissioning. The party has significant internal conflict and lost a lot of support since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, mainly to the more hardline DUP. The party polled 32.7% of the vote in 1997 but only 26.8% in 2001. The current leader of the UUP is David Trimble, who is also the First Minister of Northern Ireland. (Updated July 2001)
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Name: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Type: Terrorist Group
About: The UVF was founded in 1913 to lead the fight, that was then thought necessary, to prevent Ulster being included in the proposed Home Rule for Ireland. After largely disappearing after partition, the UVF ame was revived in 1966 to fight against the IRA and for the 'loyalist cause'. Since then, the UVF has been responsible for 396 murders and attacks. It is currently on ceasefire. In the mid 1990s, the mid-Ulster branch of the UVF broke away as the Loyalist Volunteer Force which greatly angered the leadership who have been threatening the LVF ever since. The UVF is represented by the Progressive Unionist Party, and supports the Good Friday agreement. The long running UVF/UDA alliance (which went under the name CLMC) broke down in the mid 1990s and the UVF was engaged in a feud with the UDA and the LVF which claimed several lives.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The UKUP is a fundamental Unionist party, who want to retain the state of Northern Ireland as being part of the UK. The party totally rejects violence and has no military connections. It was against the peace talks and is opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, although it is cooperating with the new Assembly. The party split in two on 5th January 1999 forming the NIUP and the present UKUP, after the leadership took the decision not to take part in any Executive into which Sinn Fein was admitted. It has 1 seat in the new Northern Ireland Assembly and none in the overall UK Parliament (as of 2001). It had 5 seats in the Assembly before the split and the next election may see the party increase its Assembly seats above 1 again. However, the party had a disappointing performance in the 2001 general election, polling 1.7% of the vote compared to 1.6% in 1997; only a marginal increase. The current leader of the UKUP is Robert McCartney. (Updated July 2001)
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Name: United Unionists Type: Political Umbrella Group
About: The United Unionists was the name used to refer to the 'No' campaign by those who were against the Good Friday Agreement (it is not to be confused with the United Unionist Assembly Party - see below). They consisted of the DUP, UKUP and 6 rebel UUP MPs. They have no leader and were unofficially formed in April 1998 to co-ordinate the No campaign. They really died out after the Referrendum.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: United Unionist Assembly Party (UUAP) Type: Northern Ireland Political Party
About: The UUAP was founded on 21 September 1998 when the 3 independent Unionists in the new Northern Ireland Assembly united as a party. Their leader is Dennis Watson, who is also a county Grand Master of the Orange Order. The party takes a more hardline approach to Unionism, and could be regarded as a splinter from the UUP spawned when David Trimble talked to Sinn Fein in September 1998. Almost immediately they held talks with the UKUP about a possible partnership in the Assembly, but this never came to anything. It has 3 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly.
Web site: No web presence known of.
 
Name: Worker's Party Type: All-Ireland Political Party
About: The Workers' Party was founded in 1982 and has the aim of founding a socialist republic in Ireland, consisting of the entire island. It concentrates heavily on working class people. It has come under pressure due to a split in the party in 1992 which put it under financial stress. It stands in Northern Ireland elections, but is not a significant force there. It has no seats. The current party leader is Tom French.
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