UDA/UFF/UYM

Common Sense

Extramural Activity1 Comment

UDA commander John McMichael was also secretary of the New Ulster Political Research Group (NUPRG), a think tank of the UDA/UFF. The group argued for an independent Northern Ireland (based in part on beliefs about a separate Ulster ethnic identity) in two documents, 1979’s Beyond the Religious Divide and 1987’s Common Sense (available at CAIN), promoting the philosophy of ‘Ulster nationalism’, depicted here by the free-floating Northern Ireland. McMichael ran unsuccessfully for the Belfast South seat after the murder of Robert Bradford (see To Bathe The Sharp Sword Of My Word In Heaven).

“As John McMichael stated before his untimely death, we must share the responsibility for finding a settlement and share the responsibility of maintaining good government. He left us hope.”

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
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UDA South Belfast Brigade

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This UDA memorial garden is in Lemberg Street, at the top of (south Belfast) Roden Streeet. The plaque to John McMichael and eleven others would later be moved to Sandy Row. The stone on the right reads “In memory of fallen comrades south Belfast brigade”.

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
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Gregg & Carson

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John “Grug” Gregg and Robert “Rab” Carson of the UDA’s Southeast Antrim brigade were killed on February 1st, 2003, on orders from Johnny Adair of the West Belfast brigade after Gregg and other brigade bosses voted to expel Adair from the UDA (October 2002).

Replaces the Cloughfern Eddie.

Knockenagh Avenue, Newtownabbey

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
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Stevie ‘Top Gun’ McKeag

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The mural to UDA assassin Stevie ‘Top Gun’ McKeag is again (or, still?) in progress. Compared to the 2009 version (itself incomplete) the poppies around the portrait have lost their leaves (perhaps due to a new background colour) and his dates of birth and death have been turned into a Union Flag and Ulster Banner. See also 2008 and 2007.

Hopewell Crescent, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
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