Directory of the Northern Ireland Troubles

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The whole of Northern Ireland has, in some way, been caught up in the Troubles and subsequent peace process. While not a comprehensive guide, the following directory lists and provides links to articles about the main players in this country.

Contents 1 Cultural/religious groupings 1.1 Main churches 1.2 Catholic/Nationalist 1.3 Protestant/Unionist 2 Paramilitary groups 2.1 Loyalist proscribed groups 2.2 Other loyalist groups/cover-names 2.3 Republican proscribed groups 2.4 Other republican groups/cover-names 3 Political parties 3.1 Nationalist/Republican 3.2 Unionist/Loyalist 3.3 Other 3.4 Partially organised in Northern Ireland 4 Political structures 4.1 Northern Ireland Government 4.2 Northern Ireland legislatures 4.3 Irish Government 4.4 Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) 4.5 UK Government 4.6 UK Parliament 4.7 Co-operative 5 Security forces 5.1 Republic of Ireland 5.2 United Kingdom 5.2.1 Northern Ireland

[edit] Cultural/religious groupings

[edit] Main churches

• The Catholic Church
• The Church of Ireland (Protestant Anglican)
• The Presbyterian Church
• The Methodist Church

[edit] Catholic/Nationalist

• The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH)
• The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

[edit] Protestant/Unionist

The Loyal Orders:

• The Apprentice Boys of Derry
• The Orange Institution
• The Royal Black Institution

[edit] Paramilitary groups

Anti-terrorist laws in both Ireland and the UK proscribe (ban) membership of a number of republican and loyalist groups organised in Northern Ireland. Several other smaller paramilitary factions have appeared throughout the Troubles as well as cover-names used to deflect responsibility for attacks.

[edit] Loyalist proscribed groups

• The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF)
• The Orange Volunteers
• The Red Hand Commando
• The Red Hand Defenders
• The Ulster Defence Association (UDA)/Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
• The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)

[edit] Other loyalist groups/cover-names

• The Combined Loyalist Military Command
• The Red Branch Knights
• The Ulster Young Militants (UYM)

[edit] Republican proscribed groups

• The Continuity Army Council/Continuity IRA (CIRA)
• Cumann na mBan
• Fianna na hÉireann
• The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)
• The Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO)
• The Official Irish Republican Army
• The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA)
• The Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA)
• Saor Éire

(see Irish Republican Army for a discussion of how some of these are related)

[edit] Other republican groups/cover-names

• The Catholic Reaction Force
• Direct Action Against Drugs

[edit] Political parties

Listing includes brief summary of ideology and position on the Good Friday Agreement 1998.

[edit] Nationalist/Republican

• Sinn Féin (SF). President: Gerry Adams. Militant nationalist. Often associated with the Provisional IRA. Translation from Irish: "We Ourselves." Pro-Agreement.
• The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Leader: Mark Durkan. Moderate centre-left nationalist. Pro-Agreement.
• The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). Militant nationalist. Political wing of INLA. Anti-Agreement.
• Republican Sinn Féin (RSF). President: Ruairi O'Bradaigh. Militant nationalist. Often associated with republican dissidents. Anti-Agreement.
• The Workers Party (WP). President: Sean Garland. Marxist nationalist. Formerly Official Sinn Féin.

[edit] Unionist/Loyalist

• The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Leader: Ian Paisley. Radical populist unionist. Anti-Agreement.
• The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). Leader: Sir Reg Empey. Moderate conservative unionist. Pro-Agreement.
• The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). Leader: Dawn Purvis. Moderate centre-left unionist. Political wing of Ulster Volunteer Force. Pro-Agreement.
• The UK Unionist Party. Leader: Robert McCartney. Moderate unionist. Supports greater integration with UK. Anti-Agreement.
• The Conservative Party also organises and contests elections in Northern Ireland. Moderate unionist. Pro-Agreement.

[edit] Other

• The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Leader: David Ford. Liberal cross-community. Pro-Agreement
• The Green Party. Environmentalist. Pro-Agreement.
• Ulster Third Way. Supports Northern Ireland independence.

[edit] Partially organised in Northern Ireland

• Fianna Fáil has a cumann (branch) in Derry but has not contested elections in Northern Ireland since the 1930s. Pro-Agreement.
• The British Labour Party accepts members from but does not organise or contest elections in Northern Ireland. Mutual links with Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Pro-Agreement.
• The Irish Labour Party has a 'northern forum' which covers Northern Ireland. Mutual links with SDLP. Pro-Agreement.
• The Liberal Democrats have a branch in Northern Ireland but do not contest elections. Mutual links with Alliance. Pro-Agreement.

[edit] Political structures

[edit] Northern Ireland Government

1921-1972

• Governor
• Prime Minister
• Cabinet

1998-

• First Minister and Deputy First Minister
• Executive

[edit] Northern Ireland legislatures

1921-1972
The Parliament of Northern Ireland:

• House of Commons
• Senate

1972-1998

• The Northern Ireland Assembly (1973-1974)
• The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975-1976)
• The Northern Ireland Assembly (1982-1986)
• The Northern Ireland Forum (1996-1998)

1998-

• The Northern Ireland Assembly

[edit] Irish Government

• An Taoiseach (prime minister)
• The Department of Defence
• The Department of Foreign Affairs

[edit] Oireachtas (Irish Parliament)

• Dáil Éireann (assembly)
• Seanad Éireann (senate)

[edit] UK Government

• Prime Minister
• The Ministry of Defence (MOD)
• The Northern Ireland Office (NIO)

[edit] UK Parliament

• The House of Commons
• The House of Lords
• The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (House of Commons)
• The Northern Ireland Grand Committee (House of Commons)

[edit] Co-operative

• The British-Irish Council (BIC)
• The British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference
• The British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body
• The North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC)

[edit] Security forces

[edit] Republic of Ireland

• An Garda Síochána (police)
• The Irish Army

[edit] United Kingdom

• The British Army
• The Royal Air Force (RAF)
• The Royal Navy
• The Metropolitan Police
• The Security Service (MI5)

[edit] Northern Ireland

• The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) - to November 3, 2001
• The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) - from November 4, 2001
• The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) - to April 30, 1970
• The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) - from January 1, 1970 to June 30, 1992
• The Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) - from July 1,1992