The Northern Council for Unity was an Irish republican

Irish Republicanism

Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

 political party founded in 1937 by Anthony Mulvey

Anthony Mulvey

Anthony Mulvey was an Irish nationalist politician.Born in County Leitrim, Mulvey edited the Ulster Herald before his election to represent Fermanagh and Tyrone for the Nationalist Party in the British House of Commons at the 1935 UK general election.Mulvey did not take his seat until 1945, and...

.

The group was formed in 1937 following the promulgation of the Constitution of Ireland

Constitution of Ireland

The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...

 with the intention of opposing any measures that it felt helped to recognise the legitimacy of the Parliament of Northern Ireland

Parliament of Northern Ireland

The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...

. A breakaway from the Nationalist Party

Nationalist Party (Ireland)

The Nationalist Party was a term commonly used to describe a number of parliamentary political parties and constituency organisations supportive of Home Rule for Ireland from 1874 to 1922...

, the group took up a policy of abstentionism

Abstentionism

Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in the election itself...

 towards the 1938 Northern Ireland general election

Northern Ireland general election, 1938

-References:*...

 but soon joined the Nationalists in the Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...

-led initiative the Anti-Partition League

National League of the North

The National League of the North was an Irish nationalist organisation active in Northern Ireland.The group was founded in May 1928 on the basis of a radical programme for the "National Unification of Ireland"...

. The 'Mulveyites', as they were sometimes called, had merged back into the Nationalists by around 1945.