Left Archive: Loyalism (Part Two) – Republican Lecture Series No. 10, Sinn Féin c.1980s

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To download the above please click on the following link. AP 1970

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Many thanks to the person who forwarded this to the Archive.

This document, one of two parts (the Archive would be very grateful if anyone has the first part and are willing to donate it to us) on the topic of the history of Loyalist. As it notes:

In Part One of this education lecture on ‘Loyalism’ we dealt with Loyalism, the British identity and Protestantism, the Plantation, the Williamite Wars, the Orange Order and the Act of Union. Part two begins with the industrialisation of Belfast and the North-East of Ireland.

In the course of 11 pages it discusses different topics, including ‘Connolly and Larkin in Belfast’, ‘The Home Rule Crisis of 1912’, ‘The Defeat of Home Rule’, ‘Opposition in Ulster to Home Rule’, ‘Working Class Opposition’, ‘Carson’, ‘The Pogroms of 1912’, ‘The Ulster Covenant’, ‘Creation of the Orange State’ and ‘Loyalism Today’. Notably the period of Stormont government between 1920 and the poroguement of that parliament is not dealt with in any detail.

Instead it goes on to ‘Loyalism Today’.

It argues that:

It would be quite wrong… to conclude from this that modern loyalism has somehow developed an independence from ultimate British control and direction. This notion is at the root of ‘blood-bath’ or ‘civil war after withdrawal’ theories put forward by British apologists and pro-imperialist ‘socialists’ like the Workers’ Party.

And:

Britain’s differences with the loyalist, though serious, are tactical ones within the framework of broad political and military cooperation.

The conclusion is interesting:

…thus the correctness of republican strategy, directed through the war of national liberation at forcing a British withdrawal which will undermine its loyalist junior partner and, by opening the door to a united Ireland, allow North-eastern Protestants for the first time to take their place as free and equal citizens of an all-Ireland republic, can be seen.

And:

Loyalism is an ideology and politics that can in no way be compromised with short of the achievement of a united Ireland.