uvf gusty spence funeral

Read about our approach to external linking. [106][107] This uniform, based on those of the original UVF, was introduced in the early 1970s. In the 1960s, he founded the modern Ulster Volunteer Force, an organisation which was responsible for hundreds of sectarian murders during the Troubles. [34] In December, the UVF detonated a car bomb near the Garda central detective bureau and telephone exchange headquarters in Dublin. Recently it has emerged from the Police Ombudsman that senior North Belfast UVF member and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Special Branch informant Mark Haddock has been involved in drug dealing. Both of them shared "a deep sense of history", and he spoke of Mr Lynch's "lasting ambition" to see peace in Ireland. He initially refused and went on to attend his daughter's wedding. They shot John Scullion, a Catholic civilian, as he walked home. These included the Miami Showband killings of 31 July 1975 when three members of the popular showband were killed, having been stopped at a fake British Army checkpoint outside Newry in County Down. "He was an Irishman and looked upon himself as an Ulster Irishman as well as being British. Read about our approach to external linking. Drong de dhnmharfir srathacha ab ea Bistir na Seanchille a bh gnomhach i m Bal Feirste sna 1970id. Almost 10 years later in October 1994, he was chosen to announce to the world that the main loyalist paramilitary groups, the UVF and the UDA, were declaring ceasefires in response to an IRA cessation. This collection contains Gusty Spence's personal and business correspondence from 1959-1998, the bulk of which was written during Spence's time in prison (1966-1984). On 7 May 1966, loyalists petrol bombed a Catholic-owned pub in the loyalist Shankill area of Belfast. [26] He died of his wounds on 11 June. What's he waiting for? [2] In 1978, Spence left the UVF altogether. [29] The loyalists "intended to force a crisis which would so undermine confidence in O'Neill's ability to maintain law and order that he would be obliged to resign". In her address to the church congregation, Ms Purvis recalled how Mr Spence had been frank about his UVF role, but that he had often shocked loyalist contemporaries by his willingness to bring an end to conflict and build bridges between working class Protestants and Catholics. The group is a proscribed organisation and is on the terrorist organisation list of the United Kingdom.[8]. The group also carried out attacks in the Republic of Ireland from 1969 onward. A former leader of the UVF's political wing, the Progressive Unionist Party, described him as "one of the pivots on which a page of Irish history turned". After his release December 1984, Spence was a key figure in developing UVF thinking and indirectly its political wing, the Progressive Unionist Party. It was during his time in the Maze prison that Spence began to talk politics and encouraged others to do the same. While the Troubles broke out in 1969, the murders carried out by the UVF years earlier were seen as brutal sectarian attacks that shocked Northern Ireland. The UVF's last major attack was the 1994 Loughinisland massacre, in which its members shot dead six Catholic civilians in a rural pub. This was a large, three-day riot between Irish nationalists and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Gusty Spence is regarded as one of the founders of loyalist paramilitarism, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. What's he waiting for? Until recent years,[12] it was noted for secrecy and a policy of limited, selective membership. [21] The group called itself the "Ulster Volunteer Force" (UVF), after the Ulster Volunteers of the early 20th century, although in the words of a member of the previous organisation "the present para-military organisation has no connection with the U.V.F. Berenice also assists in shipping across the state, country or around the world. [18] On 27 May, Spence ordered four UVF men to kill an Irish Republican Army (IRA) member, Leo Martin, who lived on the Falls Road. [37] As the loyalist Maze commander, Spence initially also had jurisdiction over the imprisoned members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), although this came to an end in 1973 when, following a deterioration in relations between the two groups outside the prison walls, James Craig became the UDA's Maze commander. RT 2023. [101], In April 2021, riots erupted across Loyalist communities in Northern Ireland.[relevant? While the only echoes of Mr Spences paramilitary past were the UVF murals that dotted his funeral route, a guard of honour was formed by veterans of his old British Army regiment, the Royal Ulster Rifles. [44], The brigade formed part of the Glenanne gang, a loose alliance of loyalist assassins which the Pat Finucane Centre has linked to 87 killings in the 1970s. The no-warning car bombings had been carried out by units from the Belfast and Mid-Ulster brigades. Gusty Spence, who has died aged 78, was the . The report added that individuals, some current and some former members, in the group have, without the orders from above, continued to "localised recruitment", and although some continued to try and acquire weapons, including a senior member, most forms of crime had fallen, including shootings and assaults. The 78-year-old died in hospital at the weekend after a long illness. Then, use free funeral planning tools to plan out the best funeral for your loved one. Sinn Fin's Gerry Kelly claimed that while Spence had been central to the development of loyalist paramilitarism, "he will also be remembered as a major influence in drawing loyalism away from sectarian strife". But despite the statement, the UVF was subsequently involved in sporadic violence, including several murders. It claimed the pubs were used for republican fundraising. [145], Scotland was a source of funding and aid, supplying explosives and guns. [162], There were also 66 UVF/RHC members and four former members killed in the conflict. Two members of the group survived the attack and later testified against those responsible. [43] Jackson was allegedly the hitman who shot Hanna dead outside his home in Lurgan. [citation needed]. [84] The Independent Monitoring Commission stated Moffett was killed by UVF members acting with the sanction of the leadership. [48] When Spence's wife died three years later, he said that C Company had been responsible for her death, such was the toll that the events had taken on her health. [89][90] A dissident Republican was arrested for "the attempted murder of police officers in east Belfast" after shots were fired upon the police. Gusty Spence announced the loyalist paramilitary ceasefires in 1994, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. In the 1960s, he founded the Ulster Volunteer Force, which was responsible for hundreds of murders during the Troubles. [112] The vast majority of its victims were Irish Catholic civilians, who were often killed at random. The funeral of 78-year-old Gusty Spence, the former leader of the UVF paramilitary organisation, has taken place in Belfast. DeSantis won't say he's running. "[18], In November 2013, after a series of shootings and acts of intimidation by the UVF, Police Federation Chairman Terry Spence declared that the UVF ceasefire was no longer active. [33] His fugitive status earned him the short-lived nickname the "Orange Pimpernel". Of course, the UVF had a big role to play, with a masked Geordie Orr (another pivotal UVF figure notable by his absence from the book) and others . [94] The high levels of orchestration by the leadership of the East Belfast UVF, and the alleged ignored orders from the main leaders of the UVF to stop the violence has led to fears that the East Belfast UVF has now become a separate loyalist paramilitary grouping which doesn't abide by the UVF ceasefire or the Northern Ireland Peace Process. They have been engaged in orchestrating violence on our streets, and it's very clear to me that they are engaged in an array of mafia-style activities. It comprises high-ranking officers under a Chief of Staff or Brigadier-General. Mharaigh na Bistir thart ar 23 Caitliceach agus 8 Protastnach, dream dlseoir sceapatacha a d'fhuadaigh, a chiapaigh agus . [84] Eleven months later, a man was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of the UVF's alleged second-in-command Harry Stockman, described by the Belfast Telegraph as a "senior Loyalist figure". Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. [164], For the original Ulster Volunteer Force, see, Aaron Edwards - UVF: Behind the Mask pp. [67] According to Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN), the UVF killed 17 active and four former republican paramilitaries. Former Ulster Volunteer Force leader Gusty Spence has died aged 78. Some of them left much of Belfast without power and water. In 2007, he announced that the UVF and an associated group, the Red Hand Commando, would cease to exist in their previous form. [39], Spence began to move towards a position of using political means to advance one's aims, and he persuaded the UVF leadership to declare a temporary ceasefire in 1973. The widow of former PUP leader David Ervine, Jeanette, also attended. He added: "I think it helped to set some of the tone to bring us to where we are now.". Its name was taken from . He then became involved in politics and announced the landmark loyalist paramilitary ceasefires in 1994. Reverend Chris Hudson, who helped broker contacts between loyalist paramilitaries and the Irish government, said that aspect of the statement was significant. A man once involved in conflict. Gusty Spence received primary education at Riddell Memorial (1938-43) and Hemsworth Square (1943-7) public elementary schools, both in the Shankill area. [9] He was also associated loosely with prominent loyalists such as Ian Paisley and Desmond Boal and was advised by both men in 1959 when he launched a protest against Gerry Fitt at Belfast City Hall after Fitt had described Spence's regiment as "murderers" over allegations that they had killed civilians in Cyprus. This gang was led by Lenny Murphy. [130], Prior to and after the onset of the Troubles the UVF carried out armed robberies. [41] On 17 May, two UVF units from the Belfast and Mid-Ulster brigades detonated four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan. In 1984, Gusty was released from prison, and became a leading figure in the Progressive Unionist Party and . A former leader of the UVF's political wing, the Progressive Unionist Party, described him as "one of the pivots on which a page of Irish history turned". Speaking from his home in Belfast last night, Mr Spence said he had become acquainted with Mr Lynch three or four years ago. In October, UVF and UPV member Thomas McDowell was killed by the bomb he was planting at Ballyshannon power station. [80], In the twentieth IMC report, the group was said to be continuing to put its weapons "beyond reach", (in the group's own words) to downsize, and reduce the criminality of the group. Scores of houses and businesses were burnt out, most of them owned by Catholics. The gang comprised, in addition to the UVF, rogue elements of the UDR, RUC, SPG, and the regular Army, all acting allegedly under the direction of the British Intelligence Corps and/or RUC Special Branch. He will be buried in Bangor after a funeral service on the Shankill Road. [31], The UVF had launched its first attack in the Republic of Ireland on 5 August 1969, when it bombed the RT Television Centre in Dublin. [126] Later, in September 1972, Gusty Spence said in an interview that the organisation had a strength of 1,500. [108], The UVF's stated goal was to combat Irish republicanism particularly the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and maintain Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom. It would attack the Republic again in May 1974, during the two-week Ulster Workers' Council strike. Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Browse funeral homes near La Habra Heights, California. [37], The IRA had split into the Provisional IRA and Official IRA in December 1969. The damage from security service informers started in 1983 with "supergrass" Joseph Bennett's information, which led to the arrest of fourteen senior figures. One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade. Mr Spence was brought up in the Shankill, but was forced out in later years by loyalists opposed to his defence of the peace process and his opposition to continued paramilitary activity. However, following significant political pressure, the UVF claimed in 2007 that it was decommissioning its weapons. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Two UVF men were accidentally blown up in this attack. During the riot, UVF members shot dead RUC officer Victor Arbuckle. [8] He was frequently involved in street fights with republicans and garnered a reputation as a "hard man". This development came soon after the UVF's Brigade Staff in Belfast had stood down Wright and the Portadown unit of the Mid-Ulster Brigade, on 2 August 1996, for the killing of a Catholic taxi driver near Lurgan during Drumcree disturbances. "[23] It was led by Gusty Spence, formerly a soldier in the British Army. Brian Ervine said: "His contribution to the peace is incalculable and without him, probably the paramilitaries would still be at war. [22] Spence's involvement in the killings gave him legendary status among many young loyalists and he was claimed as an inspiration by the likes of Michael Stone. Independentie. [38] By this time Spence polarised opinion within the UVF, with some members fiercely loyal to a man they saw as a folk hero and others resenting his draconian leadership and increasing emphasis on politics, with one anonymous member even labelling him "a cunt in a cravat". In keeping with his wishes, there will be no UVF trappings and his coffin will be draped in the regimental flag of the Royal Ulster Rifles in which he served. Gusty Spence is regarded as one of the founders of loyalist paramilitarism, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Explosives for the north were mostly shipped in small boats which set out at night from the Scottish coast and made contact at sea with vessels from Ulster ports." It set up a paramilitary-style wing called the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). [30] There were bombings on 30 March, 4 April, 20 April, 24 April and 26 April. [129] Another estimates that over a 30-year period women accounted for, at most, just 2% of UVF membership. This building had been an important training centre for members of Edward Carson's original UVF. The family of the former UVF leader Gusty Spence is planning a funeral with the emphasis on his British army past rather than his time in the paramilitary group. Thousands of families, mostly Catholics, were forced to flee their homes and refugee camps were set up in the Republic of Ireland. . Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. Hundreds of mourners have attended the funeral of the former loyalist leader Gusty Spence. He was jailed for life for the murder of a Catholic barman in 1966 and served 18 years in prison. He added: "I think it helped to set some of the tone to bring us to where we are now.". Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. However, the UVF spurned the government efforts and continued killing. "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths crosstabulations", "UVF disbands unit linked to taxi murder", Law and order Belfast-style as two men are forced on a 'walk of shame', 'Report of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning', Twenty-Fourth Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission, "David Madine admits trying to kill loyalist Harry Stockman", "Police say UVF gunman seen in Rathcoole during trouble". The 78-year-old had been ill for some time. SENIOR UVF figures have warned loyalists will "wreck the place" and "the streets will be in flames" if any Brexit deal between the UK and EU does not . "Overstating and Misjudging the Prospects of Civil War: The Ulster Volunteer Force and the Irish Volunteers in the Home Rule Crisis, 19121914." 206, 207, Ed Moloney, Secret History of the IRA, p.321, "Voices From the Grave:Two Men's War in Ireland" Ed Moloney, Faber & Faber, 2010 pp 417. 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