Frank McCoubrey

Frank McCoubrey is an Ulster loyalist politician and community activist in Northern ireland. He is a leading member of the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG) and a member of Belfast City Council, representing the Court area. [ [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/councillors/councillors.asp?id=20 Profile on Belfast City Council website] ] McCoubrey is a native of the Highfield estate in Belfast. [H. McDonald & J. Cusack, "UDA – Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror", Dublin, Penguin Ireland, 2004, p. 327]

Emergence in UPRG

McCoubrey was first elected to the Council in 1997 as a member of the Ulster Democratic Party [ [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/lgbelfast.htm Belfast City Council Elections 1993-2005] ] and was eventually elected as deputy mayor in 2000, with the votes of the Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Unionist Party councillors. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/774134.stm 'Hypocrisy' claims over DUP mayor] ] [ [http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2002/nov8_problem_with_republicans.php The problem with republicans] ] Following the collpase of the UDP and the resulting decision of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) to reconvene the UPRG McCoubrey was chosen along with Sammy Duddy, Frankie Gallagher and Tommy Kirkham to front the new group, as all four were better known for their community activism than for direct involvement in the UDA. [H. McDonald & J. Cusack, "UDA – Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror", Dublin, Penguin Ireland, 2004, p. 366] McCoubrey became one of the leading figures in the UPRG and even joined Kirkham and Gallagher in meeting Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2004, along with UDA leader Jackie McDonald and prisoners' spokesman Stanley Fletcher in a 'histoic' event. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3427709.stm Ahern's loyalist meeting 'amicable'] ]

In his role as a councillor McCoubrey opened early channels between loyalism and Sinn Féin, joining UDP colleague John White in holding an unofficial meeting with Alex Maskey in Belfast City Hall in June 2001. [D. Lister & H. Jordan, "Mad Dog", Edinburgh: Mainstream, 2004, p. 306] However McCoubrey also led a campaign in 2003 to bring Gerry Adams to trial for violation of the human rights of the people of the Shankill. McCoubrey, who organised a petition to this effect, argued that Adams' and Sinn Féin's policy of due to the oath of allegiance to the Crown meant that the people of the Shankill were being denied representation and sought to bring a case to the European courts in order to alter the situation. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/jan/14/northernireland.devolution Adams may face court over 'forgotten constituents'] ] Ultimately, however, nothing came of the initiative.

Loyalist Day of Culture controversy

McCoubrey's term of office as deputy mayor was soon marked by controversy after he wore his official robes and chain of office to a 'Loyalist Day of Culture' held on the Lower Shankill on 19 August 2000, where he shared a stage with UDA members Johnny Adair and Michael Stone at the height of a loyalist feud between that group and the Ulster Volunteer Force. [Ian S. Wood, "Crimes of Loyalty: A History of the UDA", p. 249] Adair had used the Day to bring the feud to its conclusion by running the Ulster Volunteer Force out of the Shankill by attacking their stronghold, the Rex Bar.Mc Donald & Cusack, op cit, p. 327-328] Calls were made for McCoubrey to resign, although he claimed that he did not know Adair and Stone would be there and that he was not expecting the gun-fire in the paramilitary show of strength that ended the night. Ultimately the Council decided to take no action against McCoubrey [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/910559.stm Deputy mayor avoids censure] ] , with a motion of censure brought in by the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland's David Alderdice defeated in the council. [ [http://republican-news.org/archive/2000/September06/06feud.html Loyalist feud exposes Orange state] ] McCoubrey also faced criticism from former Lord Mayor of Belfast Hugh Smyth, who had been a friend of his until the incident, with a number of Smyth's colleagues in the Progressive Unionist Party amongst those ran out of the Shankill by Adair and 'C' Company.

ubsequent activity

McCoubrey remains a member of the Council, where he takes the Ulster Unionist Party whip in a move that has been criticized by the Alliance due to the links between the UPRG and the UDA. [ [http://www.allianceparty.org/news/003198/alliance_calls_for_city_hall_uup_to_end_pact_with_uprg.html Alliance calls for City Hall UUP to end pact with UPRG] ] although he officially sits as an Independent, as do all elected members of the UPRG. [ [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/councillors/councillors.asp?id=20 Profile on Belfast City Council website] ] McCoubrey also remains a prominent community activist in the Shankill, working to secure increased funding for a district named in 2008 as Northern Ireland's most deprived. [ [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Shankill-39most-deprived-area-in.3835096.jp Shankill 'most deprived area in Northern Ireland'] ]

References