Word: ulstermen
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...renewed sequence of assassinations came as a shock to Ulstermen; since Christmas, the atmosphere in Belfast had been almost benign. British patrols had seemingly pacified the East Belfast area that had been the scene of many "sectarian" killings-the term routinely used in Ulster to describe cases where victims are murdered simply because they are Catholic or Protestant. Apparently exasperated by a delay in the publication of an anticipated British White Paper setting forth a new political structure for Northern Ireland, terrorists shifted their attack. Most of last week's shootings took place in West Belfast, where Catholic Andersonstown...
Through it all, Ulstermen-Protestant and Catholic-remain an incredibly sturdy breed, very warm and hospitable. A reporter develops fondnesses, even for some of the bloodiest of them; the shock is great when a man who has had you in for tea one week is found shot dead the next, his body stuffed into the back of a car. The North is both a sickening and a fascinating place. Nonetheless, there is something appealing about the brutal honesty of its politics, even the ear-scraping Northern accent, at least when compared with the soft-spoken hypocrisy one finds...
...wonders whether a common mistrust of Britain might not eventually unite Ulstermen. In fact, there is already more contact between Protestant and Catholic politicians, even the extremists, than meets the eye. Among those advocating joint exploration of a "negotiated" independence from Britain is John Taylor, onetime Home Minister in the Stormont Cabinet. Taylor was the target of a machine-gun attack by an l.R.A. faction last year. Although still a hard-fisted Unionist, he has recently made discreet approaches to Northern republicans and now enjoys a vogue among Dublin editorialists. Still, the idea of independence, with its implication of British...
Discussing his Green Paper at a press conference in London, Whitelaw contended that Ulstermen "must face facts as they are and not as they may either think they ought to be, or hope they would be." On that blunt basis, the political parties of Northern Ireland will be given until next March to evolve a formula for a new constitution. Before then, Ulster will be asked to vote on whether it wishes to remain within the United Kingdom or join with the Republic of Ireland. As a prelude to that plebiscite, the Dublin government plans a referendum on whether...
That timetable to end the terror of Ulster was being prepared long before the Protestant riots erupted last week. But the riots underscored the futility of Britain's trying to keep the peace while waiting for Ulstermen to negotiate a settlement among themselves. The waves of attacks were a controlled show of frightening power by the paramilitary Ulster Defense Association. Little more than a clubhouse of toughs and workers less than a year ago, the U.D.A. now claims to have 53,000 members, including a few American "volunteers" who are veterans of Viet Nam (but whom nobody seems...