Catholic Unionist
Encyclopedia
A Catholic Irish Unionist is either a Roman Catholic in Northern Ireland
who supports continuing ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain
. Northern Ireland is a constituent country of the United Kingdom, consisting of the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland
.
Among those who vote for mainstream Unionist parties in Northern Ireland, Catholic Unionists usually support the more moderate Ulster Unionist Party
, as opposed to the Democratic Unionist Party
because of the anti-Catholic religious doctrine of the former DUP
Party leader Ian Paisley
. Many Catholic Unionists vote for the Social Democratic and Labour Party
or for the non-aligned Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
, notwithstanding the SDLP's support for a United Ireland
.
Historically, after the enactment of Catholic Emancipation
in 1829, a great number of Catholics served in senior positions in the British empire
of the 19th century, some of whom supported various forms of Irish home rule, while others did not. Probably the most eminent was the lawyer, judge and politician Charles Russell
.
Many prominent members of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
have been Catholics, including the majority of its past leaders (such as John Cushnahan
, Oliver Napier
and Sean Neeson
), some of its Deputy Leaders (such as Seamus Close
and Eileen Bell
), former MP Thomas Columba Gormley, as well as three of its seven current Assembly members. The Alliance Party is not, as such, a Unionist party, as its support for the Union is based purely on that being the wishes of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland. Few of its members would regard themselves as Unionists in the conventional sense.
Having opposed the partition of Ireland
from 1949, all the major political parties in the Republic of Ireland
approved the Belfast Agreement
of 1998 that consents to Northern Ireland remaining a part of the United Kingdom as long as a majority of its electorate so desires.
and Sir Gus O'Donnell
, the head of the British Civil Service
, both of whom are Catholics.
. The NILT results also suggest that 5% of Roman Catholics would vote for the nominally unionist Alliance Party
, but none would support any of the mainstream or 'hardline' Unionist parties. Similarly, the poll results suggested that 7% of Protestants would vote for the Alliance Party, while 2% of Protestants would vote for the moderate nationalist SDLP
.
A 2011 survey by the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey found that 52% of Northern Irish Catholics respondents favoured Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom over a United Ireland.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
who supports continuing ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Northern Ireland is a constituent country of the United Kingdom, consisting of the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Among those who vote for mainstream Unionist parties in Northern Ireland, Catholic Unionists usually support the more moderate Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
, as opposed to the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
because of the anti-Catholic religious doctrine of the former DUP
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
Party leader Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
. Many Catholic Unionists vote for the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
or for the non-aligned Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
, notwithstanding the SDLP's support for a United Ireland
United Ireland
A united Ireland is the term used to refer to the idea of a sovereign state which covers all of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. The island of Ireland includes the territory of two independent sovereign states: the Republic of Ireland, which covers 26 counties of the island, and the...
.
Historically, after the enactment of Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
in 1829, a great number of Catholics served in senior positions in the British empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
of the 19th century, some of whom supported various forms of Irish home rule, while others did not. Probably the most eminent was the lawyer, judge and politician Charles Russell
Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen
Charles Arthur Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen, GCMG, PC, was an Irish statesman of the 19th century, and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.-Early life:...
.
Catholic Unionists
- Richard Doherty, author, military historian and RUC reservist from County LondonderryCounty LondonderryThe place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
. - Sir John Gorman, a Catholic Ulster Unionist Party delegate.
- General Sir John Winthrop HackettJohn Winthrop Hackett JuniorGeneral Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was an Australian-born British soldier, author and university administrator.-Early life:Hackett, who was nicknamed "Shan", was born in Perth, Western Australia...
. Known as 'Shan' Hackett, he was born in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to Irish Catholic parents. Hackett was a professional soldier in the British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He served as Commander in Chief of the British Army of the RhineBritish Army of the RhineThere have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
and later as Commander of the Northern Army Group for NATO. He also wrote the best seller The Third World WarThe Third World War: The Untold StoryThe Third World War: The Untold Story is a novel by Sir John Hackett of a fictional third world war between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces breaking out in 1985, written in the style of a non-fictional historical account...
, a work of fiction that laid out a "what if" scenario of a possible conflict between NATO and the Warsaw PactWarsaw PactThe Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
during the 1980s. He had a home in County DonegalCounty DonegalCounty Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - Edward Haughey, Baron BallyedmondEdward Haughey, Baron BallyedmondEdward Enda Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, OBE is an entrepreneur and politician. With an estimated personal wealth of £500m, he is the richest person in Northern Ireland, 9th richest in Ireland 250 member list and is joint 132nd richest person in the United Kingdom.-Biography:Edward Haughey was...
, OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. Educated by the Irish Christian Brothers in Dundalk; self-made pharmaceutical tycoon who served as a nominee of TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Charles HaugheyCharles HaugheyCharles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
in Seanad ÉireannSeanad ÉireannSeanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
. - Sir Denis Henry, was born in County LondonderryCounty LondonderryThe place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
in 1864. A son of prosperous Catholic businessman, he was elected MP for South LondonderrySouth Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)South Londonderry was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1885 until it was abolished in 1922.-Boundaries and Boundary Changes:...
in 1916 and later served as Solicitor-General for IrelandSolicitor-General for IrelandThe Solicitor-General for Ireland was the holder of an Irish and then United Kingdom government office. The holder was a deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. At least one holder of the office, Patrick Barnewall played a significant role in...
and then as the First Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.
Many prominent members of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
have been Catholics, including the majority of its past leaders (such as John Cushnahan
John Cushnahan
John Walls Cushnahan is a former politician in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who served as leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and then as a Member of the European Parliament for Fine Gael....
, Oliver Napier
Oliver Napier
Sir Oliver Napier was the first leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. In 1974 he served as the first and only Legal Minister and head of the Office of Legal Reform in the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive set up by the Sunningdale Agreement.-Early life:Napier was educated at St...
and Sean Neeson
Séan Neeson
Seán Neeson is a politician in Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland between 1998 and 2001.- Education and early life :...
), some of its Deputy Leaders (such as Seamus Close
Seamus Close
Seamus Close OBE is a Northern Ireland politician, former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley and a former deputy leader of the Alliance Party....
and Eileen Bell
Eileen Bell
Eileen Bell CBE is a Northern Ireland politician, member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Down and former deputy leader of the Alliance Party.-Early life:...
), former MP Thomas Columba Gormley, as well as three of its seven current Assembly members. The Alliance Party is not, as such, a Unionist party, as its support for the Union is based purely on that being the wishes of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland. Few of its members would regard themselves as Unionists in the conventional sense.
Irish Catholic Unionists in the Republic of Ireland
- Stan Gebler DaviesStan Gebler DaviesStanley Gebler Davies was a journalist with the Irish Independent as well as with various British magazines . Of part-Polish and part-Jewish ancestry, Davies was known for his eccentric views and for his exceptional alcohol intake...
(deceased) - a journalist for the Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, who stood as a Unionist for the DáilDáil ÉireannDáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
in 1987.
- Conor Cruise O'BrienConor Cruise O'BrienConor Cruise O'Brien often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. Although his opinion on the role of Britain in Northern Ireland changed over the course of the 1970s and 1980s, he always acknowledge values of, as he saw, the two irreconcilable traditions...
(deceased), former member of the UK Unionist PartyUK Unionist PartyThe UK Unionist Party was a small unionist political party operating in Northern Ireland from 1995 to 2008. It was nominally formed by Robert McCartney, formerly of the Ulster Unionist Party, to contest a by-election the North Down by-election, 1995 and then further constituted to contest the 1996...
and the Irish Labour Party.
Having opposed the partition of Ireland
Partition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
from 1949, all the major political parties in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
approved the Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
of 1998 that consents to Northern Ireland remaining a part of the United Kingdom as long as a majority of its electorate so desires.
See also
- Southern Unionism and Neo-Unionism
- West Brit
Irish-Origin Catholics in Britain
Since 1922 at least a million Irish people have moved to Britain, or are descended from Irish emigrants. By 2007 these included government minister Ruth KellyRuth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
and Sir Gus O'Donnell
Gus O'Donnell
Sir Augustine Thomas "Gus" O'Donnell GCB is a British civil servant, who is the current Cabinet Secretary, the highest rank in the British Civil Service. He is consequently, under current practice, Head of the Civil Service, which means he has authority over all civil servants except those who are...
, the head of the British Civil Service
British Civil Service
Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...
, both of whom are Catholics.
Voting trends
Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey's 2005 poll results suggest that a quarter of Northern Irish Catholics favour Northern Ireland remaining as part of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The NILT results also suggest that 5% of Roman Catholics would vote for the nominally unionist Alliance Party
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
, but none would support any of the mainstream or 'hardline' Unionist parties. Similarly, the poll results suggested that 7% of Protestants would vote for the Alliance Party, while 2% of Protestants would vote for the moderate nationalist SDLP
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
.
A 2011 survey by the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey found that 52% of Northern Irish Catholics respondents favoured Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom over a United Ireland.
See also
- Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
- Alliance Party of Northern IrelandAlliance Party of Northern IrelandThe Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
- Unionism (Ireland)
- West BritonWest BritonWest Brit, an abbreviation of West British, is a pejorative term for an Irish person, usually from South Dublin, who is perceived by his or her countrymen as being too anglophilic in matters of culture or politics.-History:...
- Protestant NationalistProtestant NationalistIrish nationalism has been chiefly associated with Roman Catholics. However, historically this is not an entirely accurate picture. Protestant nationalists were also influential supporters of the political independence the island of Ireland from the island of Great Britain and leaders of national...
- List of Irish Victoria Cross recipients