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Ulster Constitution Defence Committee
The Ulster Constitution Defence Committee (UCDC) was a body established in Northern Ireland by the Rev. Ian Paisley in April 1966 as the governing organ of the loyalist Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). It coordinated parades, counter-demonstrations and paramilitary activities against the reforms of prime minister Terence O'Neill and any gestures made to the civil rights movement.
The fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill, who began his term in 1963, was trying to modernize industry to stave off an economic depression. This process brought foreign industry to Northern Ireland and threatened the Protestant, Unionist, powerbase: the Unionists held 90% of jobs but foreign industries were hiring Catholics, thus reducing Protestant strength.[citation needed] In 1965, Terence O'Neill also invited and met with Sean Lemass, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, to promote economic cooperation. Unionists often regarded Ireland as the enemy and a report from Brian McConnell, the Home Affairs Minister, said a new IRA campaign of subversion was imminent.
Ian Paisley, a fundamentalist Presbyterian who was politically active, supported the status quo. Fundamentalists were associated with 'traditional Unionism,' which wanted Protestant advantages in jobs, housing, and political power. The ecumenical, liberal movement within Protestantism was thought[by whom?] to align with the political elite and with Catholics, thereby threatening the advantages enjoyed by working-class Protestants. Paisley's attempt to put four candidates into an election ended up with him withdrawing them when he identified the need for an electoral machine to obtain votes in the Westminster general election.(Boulton 34)[clarification needed]
Noel Doherty, a member of Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church and a printer, helped Paisley form the Puritan Printing Company and create the first edition of the Protestant Telegraph in May 1966. Doherty was an admirer of Gusty Spence, a member of Ulster Protestant Action and a much tougher character who re-created the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in March 1966, just prior to the formation of the UCDC. While proposing the political vehicle Paisley needed, Doherty's motives aligned more with Spence than with Paisley. Doherty used his position of trust with Paisley and began to organize a network of the 'Ulster Protestant Volunteer Corps' about two months before the creation of the UCDC.
Ian Paisley met with fellow loyalists including Noel Doherty in April 1966, when he discussed a proposal by Doherty to create the Ulster Constitution Defence Committee. Paisley was made the Chairman and a "12-man united society of Protestant patriots pledged by all lawful methods to uphold and maintain the constitution of Northern Ireland" (also known as "the 12 disciples") was created. Doherty was made the Secretary.(Boulton 34-36)
The public debut of the UCDC took place on the Shankill Road (West Belfast) on 17 April 1966, in the form of a parade led by Ian Paisley and Noel Doherty. Members of both Doherty's and Spence's newly created bodies participated in the parade and were publicly thanked by Paisley.
In May 1966, the UCDC decided to split Doherty's Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV), which was a loyalist paramilitary group, into local branches, which were called divisions. The UPV was under the governance of the UCDC, binding it by a constitution which condemned illegal violence.(Boulton 38). Only Protestants were allowed to join and Roman Catholics along with members of the RUC were automatically excluded.
Noel Doherty made it difficult to separate the activities of the UCDC/UPV from the activities of the UVF. He asked members of the UVF and the Armagh Free Presbyterian Church to attend a meeting where the Loughgall division of the UPV would be created. During the meeting both guns and gelignite were discussed, along with reprisals against the IRA. Doherty chaired the meeting but Ian Paisley was not there, and later denied any knowledge, which was supported by Doherty.
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Ulster Constitution Defence Committee
The Ulster Constitution Defence Committee (UCDC) was a body established in Northern Ireland by the Rev. Ian Paisley in April 1966 as the governing organ of the loyalist Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). It coordinated parades, counter-demonstrations and paramilitary activities against the reforms of prime minister Terence O'Neill and any gestures made to the civil rights movement.
The fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill, who began his term in 1963, was trying to modernize industry to stave off an economic depression. This process brought foreign industry to Northern Ireland and threatened the Protestant, Unionist, powerbase: the Unionists held 90% of jobs but foreign industries were hiring Catholics, thus reducing Protestant strength.[citation needed] In 1965, Terence O'Neill also invited and met with Sean Lemass, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, to promote economic cooperation. Unionists often regarded Ireland as the enemy and a report from Brian McConnell, the Home Affairs Minister, said a new IRA campaign of subversion was imminent.
Ian Paisley, a fundamentalist Presbyterian who was politically active, supported the status quo. Fundamentalists were associated with 'traditional Unionism,' which wanted Protestant advantages in jobs, housing, and political power. The ecumenical, liberal movement within Protestantism was thought[by whom?] to align with the political elite and with Catholics, thereby threatening the advantages enjoyed by working-class Protestants. Paisley's attempt to put four candidates into an election ended up with him withdrawing them when he identified the need for an electoral machine to obtain votes in the Westminster general election.(Boulton 34)[clarification needed]
Noel Doherty, a member of Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church and a printer, helped Paisley form the Puritan Printing Company and create the first edition of the Protestant Telegraph in May 1966. Doherty was an admirer of Gusty Spence, a member of Ulster Protestant Action and a much tougher character who re-created the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in March 1966, just prior to the formation of the UCDC. While proposing the political vehicle Paisley needed, Doherty's motives aligned more with Spence than with Paisley. Doherty used his position of trust with Paisley and began to organize a network of the 'Ulster Protestant Volunteer Corps' about two months before the creation of the UCDC.
Ian Paisley met with fellow loyalists including Noel Doherty in April 1966, when he discussed a proposal by Doherty to create the Ulster Constitution Defence Committee. Paisley was made the Chairman and a "12-man united society of Protestant patriots pledged by all lawful methods to uphold and maintain the constitution of Northern Ireland" (also known as "the 12 disciples") was created. Doherty was made the Secretary.(Boulton 34-36)
The public debut of the UCDC took place on the Shankill Road (West Belfast) on 17 April 1966, in the form of a parade led by Ian Paisley and Noel Doherty. Members of both Doherty's and Spence's newly created bodies participated in the parade and were publicly thanked by Paisley.
In May 1966, the UCDC decided to split Doherty's Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV), which was a loyalist paramilitary group, into local branches, which were called divisions. The UPV was under the governance of the UCDC, binding it by a constitution which condemned illegal violence.(Boulton 38). Only Protestants were allowed to join and Roman Catholics along with members of the RUC were automatically excluded.
Noel Doherty made it difficult to separate the activities of the UCDC/UPV from the activities of the UVF. He asked members of the UVF and the Armagh Free Presbyterian Church to attend a meeting where the Loughgall division of the UPV would be created. During the meeting both guns and gelignite were discussed, along with reprisals against the IRA. Doherty chaired the meeting but Ian Paisley was not there, and later denied any knowledge, which was supported by Doherty.