- John McKeague
John McKeague (died
29 January 1982 ) was anUlster Loyalist figure.McKeague joined the
Free Presbyterian Church , led byIan Paisley . He also supported theUlster Protestant Volunteers . [ [http://www.philipjohnston.com/ni/loyalism.htm Northern Ireland - development of loyalism] ] Later, he joined Tara, an evangelicalProtestant group which called for the outlawing ofRoman Catholicism inNorthern Ireland and called on members to undertake weapons training. He later became the group's deputy leader.In 1969, McKeague founded the
Shankill Defence Association (SDA), to defend theShankill Road from Catholic rioters at the start ofThe Troubles in Northern Ireland. Its primary role in theNorthern Ireland riots of August 1969 was to organise Protestants to attack Catholic areas. [ [http://www.irish-association.org/archives/stevebruce11_oct03.html Religion and Violence: The Case of Paisley and Ulster Evangelicals] ] In November 1969, McKeague was cleared of a charge of conspiracy to cause explosions. [ [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/sorgan.htm Abstracts on Organisations - 'S'] ]McKeague stood as an independent Unionist in Belfast North in the
1970 UK general election , but polled only 0.75% of the vote. He also began producing "Loyalist News".In 1971, the SDA merged with similar Protestant groups elsewhere to form the
Ulster Defence Association . Following a dispute, in 1972, McKeague left and founded theRed Hand Commandos , which rapidly became an integral part of theUlster Volunteer Force . [ [http://www.philipjohnston.com/ni/loyalism.htm Northern Ireland - development of loyalism] ] Following various attacks by hisparamilitary organisation, McKeague was interned without trial in 1973.Some observers, including Henry McDonald in "
The Observer ", have claimed that McKeague was apaedophile and that British intelligence was able to use this fact to turn him into aninformer . [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/child/story/0,,353698,00.html Rough justice for Ulster's 'paedophiles'] ]McKeague became a leading figure in the
Ulster Loyalist Central Coordinating Committee , and within it strongly advocatedUlster nationalism . WithJohn McClure , he contactedRuairí Ó Brádaigh andJoe Cahill ofSinn Féin and initiated talks in an attempt to find a common platform for an independent Northern Ireland. This collapsed afterConor Cruise O'Brien discovered and revealed the activity.With the majority of the Loyalist Central Coordinating Committee reluctant to advocate the unpopular policy of Ulster nationalism, McKeague helped establish the
Ulster Independence Party , then in 1979 became deputy leader of theUlster Independence Association .In 1982, McKeague was shot dead in an attack claimed by the
Irish National Liberation Army . [ [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/book/index.html Revised and Updated Extracts from Sutton's Book ] ]References
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