Who are loyalist paramilitaries?
Loyalist paramilitaries were responsible for 29% of all deaths in the Troubles, and were responsible for about 48% of all civilian deaths. Loyalist paramilitaries killed civilians at far higher rates than both Republican paramilitaries and British security forces.
Who are the loyalist paramilitary in Northern Ireland?
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles.
What is the difference between UVF and UDA?
Structure of the two groups were quite different: UVF was similar to the PIRA in that there was a central leadership that all brigades reported to, while the UDA was devolved with six separate brigades that worked together.
Are the IRA loyalists?
The main participants in the Troubles were republican paramilitaries such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA); loyalist paramilitaries such as the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA); British state security forces such as the British …
Is UDA still active?
The UDA/UFF declared a ceasefire in 1994 and ended its campaign in 2007, but some of its members have continued to engage in violence. The other main Loyalist paramilitary group during the conflict was the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
Is the IRA Marxist?
The Official IRA (OIRA), the remainder of the IRA after the 1969 split from the Provisionals, was primarily Marxist in its political orientation. It is now inactive, while its political wing, Official Sinn Féin, became the Workers’ Party of Ireland.
Do the LVF still exist?
Since then, the LVF has been largely inactive, but its members are believed to have been involved in rioting and organized crime. In 2015, the security forces stated that the LVF “exists only as a criminal group” in Mid-Ulster and Antrim.
What is an Irish Fenian?
The word Fenian (/ˈfiːniən/) served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic.
Who were the loyalist paramilitaries?
Loyalist paramilitaries were extremely active throughout the period when they felt Northern Ireland was most at threat: the Direct Rule crisis, the Sunningdale Agreement, and the subsequent constitutional uncertainty.
Are loyalist paramilitaries more dangerous than the IRA?
Yes—and more frequently than the IRA. Between 1968 and 1998, loyalist paramilitaries killed an estimated 864 civilians (most of them Catholic), compared with an estimated 728 civilians (most of them Protestant) killed by the IRA.
Who were the Ulster loyalists?
The two largest Loyalist groups were the Ulster Volunteer Force (formed 1966) and the Ulster Defence Association (formed 1971). For three decades these groups did battle with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Catholic communities – and occasionally with each other.
What did the loyalists do in the troubles?
Loyalists also formed paramilitary groups to defend Unionism, protect Protestant communities and respond to Republican violence. While not as deadly as the IRA, Loyalist paramilitaries killed around 740 people during the Troubles, a large number of them innocent civilians.