Ulster nationalism
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Ulster nationalism is a minor school of thought in the politics of Northern Ireland that seeks the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom without joining the Republic of Ireland, thereby becoming an independent sovereign state separate from both.
Independence has been supported by groups such as
Although the term Ulster traditionally refers to one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland which contains Northern Ireland as well as parts of the Republic of Ireland, the term is often used within unionism and Ulster loyalism (from which Ulster nationalism originated) to refer to Northern Ireland.
History
Craig in 1921
In November 1921, during negotiations for the
W. F. McCoy and Dominion status
Ulster nationalism has its origins[
Some members of the
Loyalism and Ulster nationalism
Whilst early versions of Ulster nationalism had been designed to safeguard the status of Northern Ireland, the movement saw something of a rebirth in the 1970s, particularly following the 1972 suspension of the
After the strike loyalism began to embrace Ulster nationalist ideas, with the UDA, in particular, advocating this position.
Post-Anglo-Irish Agreement
The idea enjoyed something of a renaissance in the aftermath of the
With the UIM defunct, Ulster nationalism was then represented by the Ulster Third Way, which was involved in the publication of the Ulster Nation, a journal of radical Ulster nationalism. Ulster Third Way, which registered as a political party in February 2001, was the Northern Ireland branch of the UK-wide Third Way, albeit with much stronger emphasis on the Northern Ireland question. Ulster Third Way contested the West Belfast parliamentary seat in the 2001 general election, although candidate and party leader David Kerr failed to attract much support.
Northern Irish independence is still seen by some members of society as a way of moving forward in terms of the political crisis that continues to haunt
Relationship to unionism
Ulster nationalism represents a reaction from within unionism to the perceived uncertainty of the future of the Union by the
However, whilst support for Ulster nationalism has tended to be reactive to political change, the theory also underlines the importance of Ulster cultural nationalism and the separate identity and
Outside traditional Protestant-focused Ulster nationalism, a non-sectarian independent Northern Ireland has sometimes been advocated as a solution to the conflict. Two notable examples of this are the Scottish
See also
- Cornish nationalism
- English independence
- Scottish independence
- Two nations theory (Ireland)
- Unionism in Ireland
- Welsh independence
References
Sources
- Correspondence between His Majesty's Government and the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland relating to the proposals for an Irish settlement. Command papers. Vol. Cmd.1561. HMSO. 1921.
Citations
- ^ Cmd.1561, Letter I (6)
- ^ Cmd.1561, Letter II(3)
- ^ W. F. McCoy
- ^ Ian S. Wood, Crimes of Loyalty:A History of the UDA, pg. 50.
- ^ Wood, pg. 86.
- ^ "Brexit challenges the identity of Ulster unionism". www.irishtimes.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- ^ See The Break-Up of Britain,(2nd edition), Verso, 1981.
- ^ Liam de Paor. Unfinished Business. pp. 158–159.
...It is possible to reconcile these conflicting aspirations [Unionist and Nationalist] through a compromise that would involve a new constitution for Northern Ireland: a devolution that would create a self-governing state...
External links
- Media related to Ulster unionism at Wikimedia Commons
- Ulster Nation