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The whole of Northern Ireland has, in some way, been caught up in the Troubles and subsequent peace process. While not a comprehensive guide, the following directory lists and provides links to articles about the main players in this country.

Main articles

Paramilitaries

Anti-terrorist laws in both Ireland and the UK proscribe (ban) membership of a number of republican and loyalist groups organised in Northern Ireland. Several other smaller paramilitary factions have appeared throughout the Troubles as well as cover-names used to deflect responsibility for attacks.

Note: In this context, operational refers to the period during which the 'official' paramilitary campaign was conducted.

Republicans

Umbrella groups

• Irish Republican Socialist Movement

Loyalists

Umbrella groups

• Ulster Army Council (UAC)
• Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee (ULCCC)
• Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC)

In the table below:

• The period of activity for republican groups is shown in green.
• The period of activity for loyalist groups is shown in orange.
• The period of ceasefire is shown in grey.

Security forces

United Kingdom

• The British Army
  • The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) – from 1 January 1970 to 30 June 1992
  • The Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) – from 1 July 1992
• The Territorial Army
• The Royal Air Force
• The Royal Navy
• The Metropolitan Police
• The Security Service (MI5)

Northern Ireland

• The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) – to 3 November 2001
• The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) – from 4 November 2001
• The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) – to 30 April 1970
• The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS)

Republic of Ireland

• Irish Army
• An Garda Síochána (police)

Political parties

Listing includes brief summary of ideology and position on the Good Friday Agreement 1998.

Nationalist/Republican

• Sinn Féin (SF). President: Gerry Adams. Militant nationalist. Often associated with the Provisional IRA. Translation from Irish: "We Ourselves." Pro-Agreement.
• The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Leader: Mark Durkan. Moderate centre-left nationalist. Pro-Agreement.
• The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). Militant nationalist. Political wing of INLA. Anti-Agreement.
• Republican Sinn Féin (RSF). President: Ruairi O'Bradaigh. Militant nationalist. Often associated Continuity IRA. Anti-Agreement.
• 32 County Sovereignty Movement.(32CSM) President: Francis Mackey. Militant Nationalist. Oftern associated with the Real IRA. Anti-Agreement.
• The Workers Party (WP). President: Mick Finnegan. Marxist nationalist. Formerly Official Sinn Féin. Pro-Agreement.

Unionist/Loyalist

• The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Leader: Peter Robinson. Radical populist unionist. Pro-Agreement.
• The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). Leader: Sir Reg Empey. Moderate conservative unionist. Pro-Agreement.
• The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). Leader: Dawn Purvis. Moderate centre-left unionist. Political wing of Ulster Volunteer Force. Pro-Agreement.
• The Conservative Party also organises and contests elections in Northern Ireland. Moderate unionist. Pro-Agreement.

Other

• The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Leader: David Ford. Liberal cross-community. Pro-Agreement
• The Green Party. Environmentalist. Pro-Agreement.
• Ulster Third Way. Supports Northern Ireland independence.

Political structures

Northern Ireland government

1921-1972

• Governor
• Prime Minister
• Cabinet

1998-

• First Minister and Deputy First Minister
• Executive

Northern Ireland legislatures

1921-1972
The Parliament of Northern Ireland:

• House of Commons
• Senate

1972-1998

• The Northern Ireland Assembly (1973-1974)
• The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975-1976)
• The Northern Ireland Assembly (1982-1986)
• The Northern Ireland Forum (1996-1998)

1998-

• The Northern Ireland Assembly

Republic of Ireland government

• Taoiseach (prime minister)
• The Department of Defence
• The Department of Foreign Affairs

• Dáil Éireann (assembly)
• Seanad Éireann (senate)

United Kingdom government

• Prime Minister
• The Ministry of Defence (MOD)
• The Northern Ireland Office (NIO)

• The House of Commons
• The House of Lords
• The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (House of Commons)
• The Northern Ireland Grand Committee (House of Commons)

Peace process

Co-operative bodies

• British-Irish Council (BIC)
• British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body
• North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC)

Key steps in the peace process

• Sunningdale Agreement (1973)
• Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985)
• Downing Street Declaration (1993)
• Establishment of the IICD (1997)
• Belfast Agreement (1998)
• Amendment of Articles 2 and 3 (1999)
• Establishment of the Independent Monitoring Commission (2003)
• IRA Ceasefire & Decommissioning (2005)
• St Andrews Agreement (2006)

Cultural and religious organisations

• The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland
• The Church of Ireland (Anglican)
• The Presbyterian Church in Ireland
• The Methodist Church in Ireland

Nationalist

• The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH)
• The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

Unionist

• The Apprentice Boys of Derry
• The Orange Institution
• The Independent Orange Order
• The Royal Black Institution