40th years later, questions about Ulster Resistance still go unanswered…

Belfast Glenariff is one of our regulars in the comment zone

Today, the 10th November 2026 marks the 40th Anniversary of the formation of Ulster Resistance. Very little is still known about this secretive Unionist/Loyalist quasi political/paramilitary group but what has been revealed is that the guns, ammunition and grenade launchers they received in a Loyalist arms importation in December 1987 were used in over 100 murders, mostly of innocent Catholics. These weapons were never recovered or have ever been decommissioned. Many of the relatives of those killed by them are now calling for a Public Inquiry into Ulster Resistance, it’s umbilical links to the DUP and the role British Security/Intelligence Services played in it all.

The DUP says it adheres to “law and order” and is constantly lecturing others to do likewise. Indeed they are on the point of collapsing devolved government because they demand that others “upkeep and hold to the law”. They will surely then not object to the truth coming out and anyone with knowledge of Ulster Resistance, and it’s still hidden weapons, co-operating with the appropriate policing and judicial authorities.

I refer to 2 media articles published in recent days about Ulster Resistance and the DUP; the first by Brian Feeney in the Irish News on Saturday 07th November and the second by Hugh Jordan in The Sunday World on 08th November. I am quoting primarily from Brian Feeney’s article.

Brian Feeney:

“On November 10th 1986 about 3000 men, by invitation only, packed the Ulster Hall to be addressed by Ian Paisley and other leading lights including Peter Robinson and Sammy Wilson who chaired the rally…..Paisley told the crowd that Ulster Resistance, his name for the organisation, would take whatever steps necessary to destroy the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the ongoing Republican conspiracy. He then put on a red beret as did Peter Robinson”

Brian goes on to write:

“In June 1985, the Irish Ambassador to London, Noel Dorr, reported to Dublin that the Israeli Ambassador to Britain, Yahuda Avner, told him that Paisley had been in touch with him to obtain arms for border protection…..as some of those vehemently opposed to Irish involvement in the North were determined to acquire weapons”

The story of how these weapons were acquired has already been documented by journalists Peter Taylor, Martin Dillon and the Spotlight programme in various pieces, reports, books and programmes over the years.

Brian continues:

“The finance (for the weapons) was acquired by a UVF robbery of £300,000 from the Northern Bank in Portadown in July 1987. In December 1987 the weapons arrived in Belfast Docks: 206 Vz58 assault rifles; 94 Browning 9mm pistols; 4 rocket launchers & 62 warheads; 450 grenades and 30,000 rounds of ammunition. The weapons were divided into 3 lots: one for the UDA, one for the UVF and the other for Ulster Resistance”.

The UDA’s share of the weapons were seized in January 1988 through an internal informer while most of the UVF’s were also seized, again through ‘leaks’ within. The remaining Ulster Resistance guns were never recovered and some of these were later given to the UDA and UVF. These weapons were used in the Sean Graham’s bookies murders, Michael Stone’s attack in Milltown Cemetery and many other killings.

To quote Brian again:

“In a recent carefully researched book, Aaron Edwards, an expert on Loyalist terrorism, recounted how Johnny Adair met Ulster Resistance leaders at a farm in Loughgall in 1991 where Adair convinced them to support his UFF C Company…..Edwards said the Ulster Resistance men were a loose connection of people concentrated in Mid Ulster, North Down and North Derry. Adair and UFF C Company subsequently received a large supply of weapons, grenades and ammunition from Ulster Resistance and for the next decade this murder gang constantly attacked the Catholic community in North & West Belfast and also killed quite a few people within the Unionist/Loyalist community.”

Brian says:

“In 1996 it was reported that Britain’s Security Services believed that Ulster Resistance continued to act as a quartermaster for all Loyalist paramilitaries and it has never decommissioned it’s weapons….questions now arise”

And Brian asks:

“1. If Adair knew who the leaders of Ulster Resistance were and was able to meet them, why couldn’t the British Security Forces, MI5 and Military Intelligence (apprehend them)?.
2. Where are these Ulster Resistance weapons now?
3. Why do the police not question people they suspect were Ulster Resistance leaders and also question those DUP figures who reportedly knew their identities?
4. Why was Ulster Resistance decommissioning never on the agenda?
5. Why the silence and inexplicable impunity?”

Ulster Resistance is, and was, a thoroughly ruthless Unionist/Loyalist paramilitary killing machine linked to over 100 murders. It’s on record that senior Unionist politicians, particularly DUP ones, were deeply involved with it. The victims and their families deserve answers and most importantly, a thoroughly independent Public Inquiry must now be called for.

I have mainly quoted Brian Feeny’s article in his piece for the Irish News on November 07th. Hugh Jordan of The Sunday World also has a very revealing in depth interview on November 08th with the Rev. Ivan Foster who was a senior ally of Ian Paisley and who was also involved with Ulster Resistance. From the article:

Over the next 17 years, the VZ rifles were used by loyalists in the murder or attempted murder of 70 people. Ulster Resistance weapons were used the Sean Graham’s bookies shop massacre and the ‘Trick of Treat’ Halloween night killings in Greysteel, Co Derry, as well as the Loughinisland pub shootings in Co Down. In total in these three attacks alone, 19 people died and another 27 were wounded.

However, Ulster Resistance kept the bulk of the weapons and stored them in purpose-built dumps that have never been found. And Ulster Resistance remains the only armed group not to engage with the decommissioning process headed by Canadian soldier General John de Chastelain.

Loyalists based in Mid-Ulster – who still maintain the weapons – are reported to claim they are being stockpiled in the event of a ‘doomsday’ scenario should the British and Irish governments ever attempt to “bounce” Ulster Protestants into an all-Ireland state.

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