The Organisations Protestant Organisations: Catholic Organisations: The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) These organisations wanted unionism, to remain a part of Britain. Catholic Organisations: The Irish Republican Army (IRA) The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) Sinn Fein These organisations wanted nationalism, for Ireland to be a separate country.

The Ulster Volunteer Force This organisation was established in 1912 by Sir Edward Carson to fight against Home Rule. Home Rule was the campaign for a separate Irish parliament but for Ireland to remain part of the UK. By mid 1914 90,000 men had joined the UVF. The group’s motto was ‘For God and Ulster’. They acted against Home Rule in events such as the Curragh Mutiny (where the police force refused British orders to stop UVF), Solemn League and Covenant and a meeting of 50 000 members at Craigavon where Edward Carson spoke. The Headquarters of the organisation were in Craigavon House, Belfast. Just when war was about to break out between the UVF and the IRA due to guns being supplied by Germany, World War One began.

The Ulster Defence Association This association was formed in September 1971and was classed as a terrorist organisation. Its goal was to defend Protestant loyalist areas and to fight Irish Nationalists, particularly the IRA. Their motto was: ‘Quis Separabit’ which is Latin for ‘Who will separate us?’ The leaders were: Charles Harding Smith (1971-1973) Jim Anderson (1972) Andy Tyrie (1973-1988) Their Headquarters were in Belfast. They carried out high profile attacks such as: The Milltown massacre (1998) - at the funeral of three members of the IRA a member of the UDA killed all the mourners. Greysteel massacre (1993) – this was a mass shooting where members of the UDA opened fire in a crowded pub during a Halloween party, killing 8 people and injuring 13. Most of their victims ended up being unarmed civilians, the majority of them being Irish Catholics.

The Royal Ulster Constabulary This organisation was established in June 1922 after the partition of Ireland. It was the police force for Northern Ireland between 1922 and 2000. In 2001 it was replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The Royal Ulster Constabulary had around 8500 officers with a further 4500 members in the RUC Reserve. During “The Troubles” over 3000 members were killed and almost 9000 injured in attacks, mainly by the IRA.

The Irish Republican Army The original Irish Republican Army (IRA) fought a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland in the Irish War of Independence 1919–1921 Following the signing in 1921 of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which ended the War of Independence, a split occurred within the IRA. Members who supported the treaty formed the nucleus or the Irish National Army (IRA) by IRA leader Michael Collins. However, much of the IRA was opposed to the treaty. The IRA played a large part in the Easter Rising, and consisted of volenteers, of these less than 2,000 of the 12,000 Volunteers turned out. In the event, the rising consisted of a week's street fighting in the Irish capital after which the rebels surrendered. The British used overwhelming force, including over 16,000 troops, artillery, and a naval gunboat, to put down the rebellion. Over half the 500 or so killed were civilians caught in the crossfire.

The Irish National Liberation Army Were a terrorist group formed in December 1974. The group had less than 50 members. Leaders were: Seamus Costello Gino Gallagher Dominic McGlinchey Hugh Torney Their main aim was to remove British forces from Northern Ireland. They used threats and violence against civilians. The group was active in Belfast and border areas of Northern Ireland. They participated in bombings, kidnappings, hijackings, extortions and robberies.

Sinn Fein Sinn Fein is an Irish Republican political Party in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The name is Irish for ""we ourselves". It was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith with the goal of making Ireland an individual nation, separate from the UK. The party has historically been associated with the Provisional IRA. The party took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party due to the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty which lead to civil war. Sinn Fein is currently the second-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.