Ronald Bunting
Encyclopedia
Major Ronald Terence Bunting (1924-1984) was a British Army
officer and unionist
political figure in Northern Ireland
.
Bunting was commissioned into the Armagh
and Down
Army Cadet Force
in May 1946 and resigned in March 1950 when he transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
as a Lieutenant
. He was promoted Captain
in 1952 and retired with the honorary rank of Major
in 1960.
Bunting's first involvement with politics was as election agent to Republican Labour Party
MP Gerry Fitt
, although he broke from Fitt and became a close associate of Ian Paisley
. In this role Bunting would come to play a leading role in Paisley's campaigns against the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
, as well as running unsuccessfully for the Protestant Unionist Party
in the Northern Ireland general election of 1969
in Belfast Victoria
.
Major Bunting formed his own strong-arm group which he dubbed the Loyal Citizens of Ulster, although in truth the LCU, which existed between 1968 and 1969, was little more than another name for the East Belfast
arm of the Ulster Protestant Volunteers
. At the head of this group, Bunting lead the protests against the 1969 Belfast to Derry
march organised by People's Democracy
, which resulted in a particularly bloody confrontation at Burntollet. In a fiery court case in 1969 Bunting was sentenced to three months imprisonment along with Paisley for his role in the disturbances
.
Bunting's son Ronnie Bunting
would go on to serve as a member of the Official Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army
before he was murdered by the Ulster Defence Association
in 1980. Following his son's death Major Bunting took no further role in politics, although his involvement had faded after his imprisonment, and later told an inquest that he felt his son had been killed because of his belief in social justice
.
British Army
The 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...
officer and unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
political figure in Northern 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...
.
Bunting was commissioned into the Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
and Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
Army Cadet Force
Army Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
in May 1946 and resigned in March 1950 when he transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He was promoted Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in 1952 and retired with the honorary rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1960.
Bunting's first involvement with politics was as election agent to Republican Labour Party
Republican Labour Party
The Republican Labour Party was a political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964, with two MPs at Stormont, Harry Diamond and Gerry Fitt...
MP Gerry Fitt
Gerry Fitt
Gerard Fitt, Baron Fitt was a politician in Northern Ireland. He was a founder and the first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party , a social democratic and Irish nationalist party.-Early years:...
, although he broke from Fitt and became a close associate of 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...
. In this role Bunting would come to play a leading role in Paisley's campaigns against the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, as well as running unsuccessfully for the Protestant Unionist Party
Protestant Unionist Party
The Protestant Unionist Party was a unionist political party operating in Northern Ireland from 1966 to 1971. It was set up by Ian Paisley, and was the forerunner of the modern Democratic Unionist Party and emerged from the Ulster Protestant Action movement.The UPA had two councillors elected,...
in the Northern Ireland general election of 1969
Northern Ireland general election, 1969
-References:*...
in Belfast Victoria
Belfast Victoria (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast Victoria was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:Belfast Victoria was a borough constituency comprising part of eastern Belfast...
.
Major Bunting formed his own strong-arm group which he dubbed the Loyal Citizens of Ulster, although in truth the LCU, which existed between 1968 and 1969, was little more than another name for the East Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
arm of the Ulster Protestant Volunteers
Ulster Protestant Volunteers
The Ulster Protestant Volunteers were a loyalist and fundamentalist Christian paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. They were active between 1966 and 1969 and closely linked to the Ulster Constitution Defence Committee , established by Ian Paisley in 1966.The UPV launched a bombing campaign to...
. At the head of this group, Bunting lead the protests against the 1969 Belfast to Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
march organised by People's Democracy
People's Democracy
People's Democracy was a political organisation that, while supporting the campaign for civil rights for Northern Ireland's Catholic minority, stated that such rights could only be achieved through the establishment of a socialist republic for all of Ireland...
, which resulted in a particularly bloody confrontation at Burntollet. In a fiery court case in 1969 Bunting was sentenced to three months imprisonment along with Paisley for his role in the disturbances
1969 Northern Ireland Riots
During 12–17 August 1969, Northern Ireland was rocked by intense political and sectarian rioting. There had been sporadic violence throughout the year arising from the civil rights campaign, which was demanding an end to government discrimination against Irish Catholics and nationalists...
.
Bunting's son Ronnie Bunting
Ronnie Bunting
Ronnie Bunting was an Irish republican and socialist activist in Ireland. He became a member of the Official IRA in the early 1970s and was a founder member of the Irish National Liberation Army in 1974. He became leader of the INLA in 1978 and was assassinated in 1980.-Background:Bunting came...
would go on to serve as a member of the Official Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army
Irish National Liberation Army
The Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist united Ireland....
before he was murdered by the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
in 1980. Following his son's death Major Bunting took no further role in politics, although his involvement had faded after his imprisonment, and later told an inquest that he felt his son had been killed because of his belief in social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
.