Shankill Defence Association

Northern Irish loyalist vigilante group

The Shankill Defence Association was a loyalist vigilante group formed in May 1969 for the defence of the loyalist Shankill Road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland during the communal disturbances that year.

The Shankill Defence Association was formed by John McKeague, with the intention of defending the Shankill from Irish Republican rioters at the start of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. William "Plum" Smith was a leading member.[1] In the 1969 Northern Ireland riots, the SDA was involved in providing what coordination there was of violence on the Protestant side. Although McKeague had been close to Ian Paisley the dissident unionist leader issued a statement when the SDA was formed repudiating any connection between McKeague and the SDA and his own groups the Ulster Protestant Volunteers and the Ulster Constitution Defence Committee.[2]

In 1971, it merged with similar Ulster Loyalist groups elsewhere to form the Ulster Defence Association.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Peter Taylor, Loyalists, Bloomsbury, 2000, p. 45
2. ^ Steve Bruce, Paisley: Religion and Politics in Northern Ireland, Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 218

* v
* t
* e

Ulster Defence Association

during the Troubles

Chairmen of the UDA|

* Charles Harding Smith (1971-1973)
* Andy Tyrie (1973-1988)
* position abolished (1988)

East Belfast Brigade|

* Albert "Ginger" Baker
* Jimmy Birch
* Billy Elliot
* Jim "Doris Day" Gray
* Tommy Herron
* Sammy McCormick
* Ned McCreery
* Michael Stone

North Belfast Brigade|

* John Boreland
* John Bunting
* Sammy Duddy
* Tommy English
* Davy Payne
* Andre & Ihab Shoukri
* Jimbo Simpson

South Belfast Brigade|

* David Adams
* Joe Bratty
* James Craig
* Raymond Elder
* Alex Kerr
* Jackie McDonald
* John McMichael
* Ray Smallwoods
* Michael Stone

West Belfast Brigade|

* Johnny Adair
* Ken Barrett
* Jackie Coulter
* Mo Courtney
* James Craig
* Frankie Curry
* William "Winkie" Dodds
* Hester Dunn
* Ernie Elliott
* Davy Fogel
* Donald Hodgen
* Billy Hull
* Matt Kincaid
* Tommy Lyttle
* Kenny McClinton
* Sam McCrory
* Alan McCullough
* William "Bucky" McCullough
* Stephen "Top Gun" McKeag
* Billy "Twister" McQuiston
* James "Sham" Millar
* Wendy Millar
* Brian Nelson
* Charles Harding Smith
* Gary "Smickers" Smyth
* Sammy Smyth
* Jim Spence
* William Stobie
* "Fat" Jackie Thompson
* Andy Tyrie
* John White

South East Antrim Brigade|

* Joe English
* John Gregg

North Antrim & Londonderry Brigade|

* Glenn Barr
* Ken Kerr
* Torrens Knight
* Billy McFarland
* Andy Robinson

Mid-Ulster Brigade|

* Robert John Kerr
* Eddie Sayers
* Michael Stone

Actions|

* Benny's Bar bombing (1972)
* Top of the Hill bar shooting (1972)
* New Lodge Six shooting (1973)
* Paddy Wilson and Irene Andrews killings (1973)
* Murder of Ann Ogilby (1974)
* Dublin Airport bombing (1975)
* Biddy Mulligan's pub bombing (1975)
* Milltown Cemetery attack (1988)
* Sean Graham bookmakers' shooting (1992)
* Attack on James Murray's bookmakers (1992)
* Castlerock killings (1993)
* Greysteel massacre (1993)

Prominent victims|

* Paddy Wilson (1973)
* John Turnley (1980)
* Miriam Daly (1980)
* Ronnie Bunting (1980)
* James Craig (1988)
* Pat Finucane (1989)
* Gerard Casey (1989)
* Eddie Fullerton (1991)
* Ned McCreery (1992)
* Frankie Curry (1999)

Related articles|

* Combined Loyalist Military Command
* Loyalist Association of Workers
* Loyalist feud
* Quis separabit?
* Real Ulster Freedom Fighters
* Red Hand Defenders
* Shankill Defence Association
* Ulster Army Council
* Ulster Democratic Party
* Ulster loyalism
* Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee
* Ulster nationalism
* Ulster Political Research Group
* Ulster Workers' Council strike
* Ulster Young Militants
* Volunteer (Ulster loyalist)
* Woodvale Defence Association

bold indicates brigadiers

This Northern Ireland–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template