Ulster's Lost Counties: Loyalism and Paramilitarism since 1920

The three Ulster counties of Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan were excluded from Northern Ireland in 1920, leading to the formation of Ulster loyalist identity and its impact on subsequent generations. Edward Burke's book Ulster's Lost Counties explores the history of armed resistance and terrorism in these counties and their role in militant politics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 358 pages
Publication date: 25 April 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In 1920, three Ulster counties, Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan, were excluded from Northern Ireland, leaving a significant impact on the region's history and identity. The exclusion of these counties, which had a predominantly Protestant population, was a result of the Irish Home Rule movement and the subsequent partition of Ireland. The experience of the violence and betrayal experienced by one generation of protestants in these counties had a profound effect on subsequent generations, shaping their political and social identities. Many of these individuals became loyalists to the British Crown and were involved in militant politics, including the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). The exclusion of these counties also had a significant impact on the broader Irish conflict, as it created a border that divided communities and fueled tensions. The history of Ulster loyalists who found themselves on the wrong side of the Irish border is especially relevant in the current context of uncertainty over the future of Northern Ireland. Memories of the violence and betrayal experienced by one generation of protestants in the three counties entrenched an intergenerational Ulster loyalist identity. Subsequently, three-county loyalists who moved across the border played an important role in militant politics. Edward Burke, in his book Ulster's Lost Counties, argues that violence or terrorism perpetrated by lost Ulster loyalists enjoyed considerable success. Spanning the Anglo-Irish War to the Troubles and beyond, Ulster's Lost Counties demonstrates the grip of identity and betrayal since the partition of Ireland. The exclusion of these counties has had a lasting impact on the region's political and social landscape, and it continues to be a source of contention and division.

ISBN-13: 9781009469289