The most widely accepted description of loyalism is Billy Mitchell’s The Principles of Loyalism. In this seminal document Mitchell traces the development of loyalism to the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant of 1912 and expands upon it to lay out the political philosophy of loyalism in the 20th century and updates it for the 21st century. The Principles are material…
Opinion Piece by Caroline Northern Ireland has a problem with racism. Between June 2018 and June 2019 1,095 racist incidents were recorded and racist incidents have now overtaken sectarian incidents. The problem is so bad Belfast has been described as the race hate capital of Europe. The majority of reported racist incidents have taken place in areas that are majority…
I am delighted to share this interview with you. I am also proud of Caroline for having the courage to share her views and experiences with you all. Caroline isn’t her real name, while her confidence is growing she still feels there would be a negativity towards her should she identify as loyalist. If anything I would love for you…
Loyalist women aren’t an homogenous group, they have different views and ideas but there is one thing that they do have in common, they are passionate, sincere and very open to share their views, they just have to be asked! I want to thank Leanne for taking the time to chat to me, I hope you enjoy this interview.
OpEd By Emma Shaw We have all heard the analogy it takes a village to raise a child. This is especially poignant for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The recent interim report from the Expert Panel on Educational Underachievement in Northern Ireland was released [in March 2021] and added nothing new to the long standing debate of how…
Loyalist women have faced and continue to face sustained abuse online. Whether sharing their views, commenting on politics, or just generally sharing what is going on in their life and their community, this abuse is constant. Which is why a number of my interviews with loyalist women will remain anonymous or their surnames have been omitted. I wish this wasn’t…
You will notice that this interview is by a loyalist woman who would prefer to remain anonymous. That is because women who identify as loyalist can often experience some form of abuse, harassment, or discrimination for identifying as loyalist. This includes sexist, misogynist, and sectarian comments. Wouldn’t it be great if loyalist women were free from this hatred and could…
I am delighted to share with you this interview with Patsy. These interviews are about showcasing the views of loyalist women. As Patsy highlights, we need to ensure the stories of loyalist women are not forgotten. We need to highlight the many different roles of loyalist women and to record them for future generations. So many women – long gone…
“When you have complicated problems you need more ideas, not fewer ideas, women have different backgrounds, approaches and experiences and in the end you get better decisions and a better world.” HON PATRICIA A TORSNEY, INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION PERMANENT OBSERVER TO THE UN Loyalist women face continuing barriers to their voice being heard because of the challenges that persist from being…
By Her Loyal Voice Loyalist women have faced and continue to face sustained abuse online. Whether sharing their views, commenting on politics, or just generally sharing what is going on in their life and their community, this abuse is constant. While all women can experience abuse online, the abuse that loyalist women experience has reached new heights. Often coming from…