Catholic unionist
A Catholic unionist is a Roman Catholic in Ireland who supports continuing or maintaining the Union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain or who supports the Republic of Ireland rejoining the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is a constituent country of the United Kingdom, consisting of the northeastern sixth of the island of Ireland.
Among those who vote for unionist parties in Northern Ireland, Catholic unionists historically supported the more moderate Ulster Unionist Party, as opposed to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), because of the anti-Catholic religious doctrine of the long-time DUP leader Ian Paisley and some of its current members.[citation needed] However, the DUP has recently attracted support from conservative Catholics who like the party's pro-life stance on abortion and opposition to same-sex marriage.[citation needed] Some Catholic unionists vote for the Social Democratic and Labour Party as they feel the unionist parties concentrate on Protestant, rather than unionist, issues, notwithstanding the SDLP's support for a United Ireland. Some also vote for the non-partisan Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.[citation needed]
Historically, after the enactment of Catholic Emancipation in 1829, a great number of Catholics served in senior positions in the British Empire of the 19th century. Probably the most eminent was the lawyer, judge and politician Charles Russell.
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Notable Catholic Unionists
Northern Ireland
- Richard Doherty, author, military historian and RUC reservist from County Londonderry.
- Sir John Gorman, a former Ulster Unionist Party member of the Northern Ireland assembly.
- Sir Denis Henry, was born in County Londonderry in 1864. A son of prosperous Catholic businessman, he was elected MP for South Londonderry in 1916 and later served as Solicitor-General for Ireland and then as the First Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.
- Tina McKenzie. The former chairperson, council candidate and European Parliament candidate for the pro-union political party NI21 and businesswoman. She is the daughter of Harry Fitzsimons, a former member of the Provisional IRA.[1]
Many prominent members of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland have been Catholics, including the majority of its past leaders (such as John Cushnahan, Oliver Napier and Sean Neeson), some of its Deputy Leaders (such as Seamus Close and Eileen Bell), former MP (of the Northern Ireland Parliament) Thomas Columba Gormley, as well as three of its seven current Assembly members. The Alliance Party is not, as such, a Unionist party, as its support for the Union is based purely on that being the wishes of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland
- Stan Gebler Davies (deceased) – a journalist for the Irish Independent, who stood as a Unionist for the Dáil in 1987.[2]
- Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond (deceased), OBE. Educated by the Irish Christian Brothers in Dundalk; self-made pharmaceutical tycoon who served as a nominee of Taoiseach Charles Haughey in Seanad Éireann.
- Conor Cruise O'Brien (deceased), former member of the UK Unionist Party and the Irish Labour Party.
Voting trends
Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey's 2005 poll results suggest that a quarter of Northern Irish Catholics favour Northern Ireland remaining as part of the United Kingdom.[3] The NILT results also suggest that 5% of Roman Catholics would vote for the nominally unionist Alliance Party, but none would support any of the mainstream or 'hardline' Unionist parties. Similarly, the poll results suggested that 7% of Protestants would vote for the Alliance Party, while 2% of Protestants would vote for the moderate nationalist SDLP.[4]
A 2011 survey by the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey found that 52% of Northern Irish Catholics respondents favoured Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom over a United Ireland.[5][6]
Footnotes
- ↑ The Belfast Telegraph, 6 November 2013
- ↑ Obituary: Stan Gebler Davies The Independent 24 June 1994
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- ↑ The Irish Times, 20 June 2011
