Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee
Encyclopedia
The Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee (ULCCC) was set up in 1974 in the aftermath of the Ulster Workers Council Strike, in order to facilitate meetings and policy co-ordination between the Ulster Workers Council
, the loyalist
paramilitaries and the political representatives of loyalism.
politics, the ULCCC was chaired by Glenn Barr
and met in the Belfast
offices of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
on a weekly basis. Replacing the earlier Ulster Army Council
, it brought together representatives of the Ulster Defence Association
(UDA), Ulster Volunteer Force
(UVF), Red Hand Commando, Vanguard Service Corps/Ulster Volunteer Service Corps, Down Orange Welfare
(DOW), Loyalist Association of Workers
and Orange Volunteers
, although the UDA and DOW left in 1976 after it emerged that members of the groups were unilaterally holding meetings with members of the Provisional IRA and also discussing plans for an independent Northern Ireland
with leading Catholic figures.
(the leader of the Ulster Democratic Party
who was killed by the IRA
in July 1994), although it did not gain much importance due to the existence by that time of the Combined Loyalist Military Command
, which brought together the leaderships of the UDA and UVF.
chief Billy Abernethy, Ulster Independence Movement
leader Rev. Hugh Ross
, Royal Ulster Constabulary
member Trevor Forbes and other leading people in Northern Irish society who, he claimed, conspired with leading paramilitary figures such as Billy Wright
and Robin Jackson
to facilitate loyalist killings.
The full list of alleged members as claimed by McPhilemy in his book was as follows:
The make-up of the group was largely based on evidence provided to McPhilemy by James Sands. An alternative composition of the Committee was provided by Ken Kerr
although McPhilemy later determined his evidence to be fraudulent and dismissed it. Of those named by McPhilemy only Sands and Kerr acknowledged the existence of this version of the ULCCC.
The Inner Force referred to in the table was a supposed secret group within the Royal Ulster Constabulary that existed, under the command of Trevor Forbes, in order to deliver collusion
in loyalist paramilitary killings. The existence of the Inner Force has also been strenuously denied by those named as having been involved.
Ulster Workers Council
The Ulster Workers Council was a loyalist workers' organisation set up in Northern Ireland in 1974 as a more formalised successor to the Loyalist Association of Workers . It was formed by shipyard union leader Harry Murray and initially failed to gain much attention...
, the loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitaries and the political representatives of loyalism.
Original version
Seen as an important links between grassroots loyalism and more mainstream unionistUnionism 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...
politics, the ULCCC was chaired by Glenn Barr
Glenn Barr
Glenn Barr, OBE , is a former politician from Derry, Northern Ireland who was an advocate of Ulster nationalism. For a time during the 1970s he straddled both Unionism and Loyalism due to simultaneously holding important positions in the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party and the Ulster Defence...
and met in the 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...
offices of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
The Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party , informally known as Ulster Vanguard, was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1973 and 1978...
on a weekly basis. Replacing the earlier Ulster Army Council
Ulster Army Council
The Ulster Army Council was set up in 1973 as an umbrella group by the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force to co-ordinate joint paramilitary operations during the Loyalist strike...
, it brought together representatives of 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"...
(UDA), Ulster Volunteer Force
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in late 1965 or early 1966 and named after the Ulster Volunteer Force of 1913. The group's volunteers undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles...
(UVF), Red Hand Commando, Vanguard Service Corps/Ulster Volunteer Service Corps, Down Orange Welfare
Down Orange Welfare
Down Orange Welfare was an loyalist paramilitary vigilante group active in Northern Ireland during the 1970s. Active in rural areas of County Down, the group faded after failing to win support away from larger paramilitary groups such as the Ulster Defence Association.The group was established in...
(DOW), Loyalist Association of Workers
Loyalist Association of Workers
The Loyalist Association of Workers was a militant unionist organisation in Northern Ireland that sought to mobilise trade union members in support of the loyalist cause...
and Orange Volunteers
Orange Volunteers
The Orange Volunteers or Orange Volunteer Force is an Ulster loyalist and Protestant fundamentalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland.-Origins:...
, although the UDA and DOW left in 1976 after it emerged that members of the groups were unilaterally holding meetings with members of the Provisional IRA and also discussing plans for an independent Northern Ireland
Ulster nationalism
Ulster nationalism is the name given to a school of thought in Northern Irish politics that seeks the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom without becoming part of the Republic of Ireland, thereby becoming an independent sovereign state separate from England, Scotland and Wales...
with leading Catholic figures.
Refounded version
The ULCCC was revived in 1991 under the leadership of Ray SmallwoodsRay Smallwoods
Raymond "Ray" Smallwoods was a Northern Ireland politician and sometime leader of the Ulster Democratic Party. A leading member of John McMichael's south Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association , Smallwoods later served as a leading adviser to the UDA's Inner Council...
(the leader of the Ulster Democratic Party
Ulster Democratic Party
The Ulster Democratic Party was a small loyalist political party in Northern Ireland. It was established in June 1981 as the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party by the Ulster Defence Association to replace their New Ulster Political Research Group...
who was killed by the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
in July 1994), although it did not gain much importance due to the existence by that time of the Combined Loyalist Military Command
Combined Loyalist Military Command
The Combined Loyalist Military Command was an umbrella body for loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland set up in the early 1990s, recalling the earlier Ulster Army Council and Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee....
, which brought together the leaderships of the UDA and UVF.
"The Committee"
The revived ULCCC was at the centre of controversy when Sean McPhilemy alleged that its members included Ulster BankUlster Bank
Ulster Bank is a large commercial bank, one of the Big Four in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities, Ulster Bank Limited and Ulster Bank Ireland Limited...
chief Billy Abernethy, Ulster Independence Movement
Ulster Independence Movement
The Ulster Independence Movement was an Ulster nationalist political party founded on 17 November 1988. The group emerged from the Ulster Clubs, after a series of 15 public meetings across Northern Ireland...
leader Rev. Hugh Ross
Hugh Ross (politician)
Hugh Ross is a Presbyterian minister and member of the Orange Order, who was previously the leader of the now defunct Ulster Independence Movement .-UIM leadership:...
, Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
member Trevor Forbes and other leading people in Northern Irish society who, he claimed, conspired with leading paramilitary figures such as Billy Wright
Billy Wright (loyalist)
William Stephen "Billy" Wright was a prominent Ulster loyalist during the period of violent religious/political conflict known as "The Troubles". He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1975 and became commander of its Mid-Ulster Brigade in the early 1990s...
and Robin Jackson
Robin Jackson
Robert John "Robin" Jackson, known as the Jackal was a Northern Irish loyalist who held the rank of brigadier in the Ulster Volunteer Force during the period of violent religious and political conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.From his home in the small village of Donaghcloney,...
to facilitate loyalist killings.
The full list of alleged members as claimed by McPhilemy in his book was as follows:
| Name | Position or job | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Abernethy | Ulster Bank Ulster Bank Ulster Bank is a large commercial bank, one of the Big Four in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities, Ulster Bank Limited and Ulster Bank Ireland Limited... executive |
ULCCC Chairman |
| Hugh Ross Hugh Ross (politician) Hugh Ross is a Presbyterian minister and member of the Orange Order, who was previously the leader of the now defunct Ulster Independence Movement .-UIM leadership:... |
Ulster Independence Movement Ulster Independence Movement The Ulster Independence Movement was an Ulster nationalist political party founded on 17 November 1988. The group emerged from the Ulster Clubs, after a series of 15 public meetings across Northern Ireland... leader |
|
| Trevor Forbes OBE | Royal Ulster Constabulary Royal Ulster Constabulary The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary... Assistant Chief Constable |
|
| James Sands | Ulster Independence Movement member | McPhilemy's main source of information |
| John McCullagh | Ulster Resistance Ulster Resistance Ulster Resistance was a paramilitary movement established by unionists in Northern Ireland on 10 November 1986 in opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.-Origins:The group was launched at a three thousand-strong invitation-only meeting at the Ulster Hall... representative |
|
| Isobel McCulloch | ULCCC secretary | |
| Graham Long | Loyalist Paramilitary | Previously British Army 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... |
| Nelson McCausland Nelson McCausland Nelson McCausland, MLA is a unionist politician from Northern Ireland. He is the current Minister for Social Development in the Northern Irish Government.-Education:... |
Member of Belfast City Council Belfast City Council Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area... |
Subsequently Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive... |
| David Prentice | Co-owner of car business | |
| Albert Prentice | Co-owner of car business | |
| Charles Moffett | Accountant | |
| Richard Monteith | solicitor Solicitor Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title... |
|
| Cecil Kilpatrick | Ulster Independence Movement member | |
| Lewis Singleton | Ulster Independence Movement member and solicitor | |
| Philip Black | Queens University, Belfast employee | |
| Sammy Abraham | Businessman | |
| Will Davidson | Inner Force representative | |
| Alec Jamison | Inner Force representative | |
| Robin Jackson Robin Jackson Robert John "Robin" Jackson, known as the Jackal was a Northern Irish loyalist who held the rank of brigadier in the Ulster Volunteer Force during the period of violent religious and political conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.From his home in the small village of Donaghcloney,... |
Ulster Volunteer Force member | |
| Billy Wright Billy Wright (loyalist) William Stephen "Billy" Wright was a prominent Ulster loyalist during the period of violent religious/political conflict known as "The Troubles". He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1975 and became commander of its Mid-Ulster Brigade in the early 1990s... |
Ulster Volunteer Force member | |
| Dean McCullough | Ulster Volunteer Force member | |
| Alec Benson | Loyalist Retaliation and Defence Group member | Lisburn Lisburn DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn... -based arm of the UVF |
| Ken Kerr Ken Kerr Kenneth Jason Kerr, known as "Ken", is a Northern Irish loyalist activist. He was a leading figure within the Ulster Defence Association and its political wing, the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party... |
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"... brigadier |
Source of evidence for McPhilemy |
| Ian Whittle | Inner Force representative |
The make-up of the group was largely based on evidence provided to McPhilemy by James Sands. An alternative composition of the Committee was provided by Ken Kerr
Ken Kerr
Kenneth Jason Kerr, known as "Ken", is a Northern Irish loyalist activist. He was a leading figure within the Ulster Defence Association and its political wing, the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party...
although McPhilemy later determined his evidence to be fraudulent and dismissed it. Of those named by McPhilemy only Sands and Kerr acknowledged the existence of this version of the ULCCC.
The Inner Force referred to in the table was a supposed secret group within the Royal Ulster Constabulary that existed, under the command of Trevor Forbes, in order to deliver collusion
Collusion
Collusion is an agreement between two or more persons, sometimes illegal and therefore secretive, to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding others of their legal rights, or to obtain an objective forbidden by law typically by defrauding or gaining an unfair advantage...
in loyalist paramilitary killings. The existence of the Inner Force has also been strenuously denied by those named as having been involved.