Love Ulster was a campaign conducted in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

in 2005–08. Acting on the behalf of unionist victims of the

Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed ...

, it was organised by the

County Armagh County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR), led by

Willie Frazer William Frederick Frazer (8 July 1960 – 28 June 2019) was a Northern Irish Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist activist and advocate for those affected by Irish republicanism, Irish republican violence in Northern Ireland. He was the founder and ...

History

Love Ulster's first public manifestation was in August 2005, when its members symbolically reenacted the Ulster Volunteer Force's

Larne Gun Running The Larne gun-running was a major gun smuggling operation organised in April 1914 in Ireland by Major Frederick H. Crawford and Captain Wilfrid Spender for the Ulster Unionist Council to equip the Ulster Volunteers, Ulster Volunteer Force. The op ...

of 1914. Love Ulster members brought 200,000 copies of a special edition of the '' Shankill Mirror'' newspaper into the port of Larne, bearing the banner headline, "Ulster At Crisis Point", reflecting the group's views that

was then about to be "sold out" into a

United Ireland United Ireland (), also referred to as Irish reunification or a ''New Ireland'', is the proposition that all of Ireland should be a single sovereign state. At present, the island is divided politically: the sovereign state of Ireland (legally ...

. On 25 February 2006, a planned Love Ulster march in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

was prevented from taking place due to protests culminating in

rioting A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...

. A second Love Ulster rally in Dublin was discussed as a possibility for the latter part of 2007 and approved by the

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...

."Love Ulster gets go-ahead", Metro, page 4, 2007-07-16 However, it was cancelled following discussions between Frazer and the Irish foreign minister

Dermot Ahern Dermot Christopher Ahern (born 20 April 1955) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Justice and Law Reform from 2008 to 2011, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2008, Minister for Communications, Marine ...

References

External links

Families Acting for Innocent RelativesShankill Mirror
Political organisations based in Northern Ireland The Troubles (Northern Ireland) {{NorthernIreland-org-stub