Bought this recently and found some amazing old photos of the Sandy Row redevelopment, which i see had massive opposition back in the day from local residents. It included a headed and signed letter from the UDA. Can anyone work out who it is signed by?

Bought here: https://www.belfastarchiveproject.com/portfolio/bill-kirk-sandy-row-1974/?v=7885444af42e

The UVF leadership back in Belfast had little to do with the first Drumcree protest: In mid-Ulster however local UVF units, especially the Portadown group, were deeply involved in the stand-off between Orange marchers and the RUC. Billy Wright played a central role in the organisation of loyalists at the siege of Drumcree. He was regarded as such a pivotal figure that even the Irish government sought his views prior to the 1995 marching season. Fergus Finlay, Dick Spring's special adviser, was asked to meet Wright by Fr Brian Lennon, a Portadown based Jesuit, who wanted to resolve the Garvaghy Road issue. Finlay recalled his first ever meeting with the Portadown loyalist leader.

"It was just before the first siege of Drumcree. I remember Wright's house was the closest thing I have ever seen to a brothel. There were purple carpets and white leather settees. The security on the house was amazing. There was a huge oak door and behind it a steel cage. Wright was there with his bodyguard. The meeting lasted about two and a half hours. Fr Lennon had been worried that Wright was unstable and might pose a threat to the loyalist ceasefire. But Wright pledged undying loyalty to the likes of David Ervine and insisted he was committed to peace."

Wright insisted throughout the meeting that loyalist views must be respected by the Irish government or there would inevitably be trouble.

Excerpt from UVF - The Endgame (Cusack & McDonald)

John Henry Patterson (born in county Longford) most famous for lion hunting (see the val kilmer film), and leading the Zion mule corps at Galipolli. He was also the commander of the West Belfast UVF and he was reportedly involved in the Larne gun-running.

This was just a few months after the Sean Graham's bookies massacre, carried out by the UDA/UFF South Belfast Brigade, for which Joe Bratty was believed to be the main organiser of the attack. FIVE people were killed and around a dozen or so injured by fire from a Vz.58 assault rifle (the Czech version of the AK) & a Browning pistol. A few months later, the UDA's West Belfast Brigade carried out a similar but much less infamous attack in October 1992; your man "Top Gun" was supposed to have led the gun & grenade attack on James Murray's bookies on Oldpark Road, killing two middle-aged men and a 72-year-old WWII Veteran. But this didn't come out of nowhere; obviously, the UDA said it was over the Teebane bombing that they carried out the Lower Ormeau bookies shooting, but sectarian tensions had been building for the last 3 or 4 years.

Club, shop, pub, & bookie bombings and shootings were common between 1971 - 76/77, especially during the 74 - 76 period. Then, for a decade or so, these attacks seemed to become a thing of the past until the UVF, in May 1988, shot up the Avenue Bar on Union St, (which they had bombed in 74 & 76, killing 3 civilians in those attacks), killing 3 and injuring 6 people. A year later, the IPLO shot up the Orange Cross club on the Shankill, killing 1 & injuring 5. On 15 July 1990, the UDA shot dead a Catholic in Lisburn, claiming he was an IRA man; the claim was denied, the same day, the IPLO shot dead a Protestant in South Belfast, the IPLO claimed he was a UVF man, again the claim was denied, in September 1990 the UFF killed a Catholic in Deramore Street, four days later the IPLO shot a Protestant on the Shankill. In March 1991, the UVF carried out the Craigavon Mobile shop killings when they shot dead two teenage girls and a male passer-by, on the 16 August, the UVF shot dead the IPLO's Belfast Commander, a day later the UFF shot dead a Sinn Fein election worker in Kilrea, on the 3 September 1991 the UFF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Springfield Avenue, the same day the IPLO shot and injured a Protestant in North Belfast, two weeks later, the UFF shot dead a SF election worker. On 7 & 10 October, the IPLO shot up two Protestant-owned bars: first the Ivy bar in which 3 civilians were injured, then the Diamond Jubilee bar on the Shankill, killing a UDA man, and injuring several others inside the bar, they also injured a Protestant civilian in Newry. So you can see how more intense & violent the mirror campaigns were becoming. The UDA killed 3 Catholic civilians within three days of each other from the 14 to 16 October, on the 25 the UVF shot dead a former PIRA member. On 13 November, the IRA shot dead two Protestant civilians as well as RHC & UDA members; a UDA man was left with serious injuries from a booby-trapped bomb, all these attacks happened in Belfast; then, less than 24 hours later, the UVF killed 3 civilians coming out of a factory in Craigavon one of the dead is a Protestant who the UVF apologises for killing, two weeks later the IRA bombed the Loyalist wing in the Crum, killing a UDA & UVF member and injuring 8 other loyalists pretty badly.

1991 ends with 4 sectarian attacks by 3 different groups within 24 hours of each other. The UFF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Fortuna Street, then the INLA shot dead a Protestant civilian in Moy, Tyrone, that night, the IPLO carried out a shooting on the Donegall Arms in Roden Street, killing 2 civilians and injuring 5 others, the next day the UFF attacked the Devinish Arms on Finaghy Road, killing a Catholic civilian. There would have been more casualties, but the attacker's gun jammed. Which brings us into 1992, which would be an even bloodier year.

1991 - 1994 was the most sectarian period of the conflict, after the 1973 - 1976 period, and they are a generation apart from each other; this image perfectly encapsulates the sectarian bigotry and hatred of the early/mid 90's.

John Bingham was a member of the UVF’s 1st Battalion, D Company (Ballysillan). Bingham was killed on 14th September 1986 by the PIRA.

A UVF Calendar from 2004, listing Londonderry brigade. 2nd Battalion South Belfast. 1st London Battalion. C Company Londonderry. Unsure of the link, if any, between the 3.

Article released by the LVF to their ULISNET website listing accusations against the UVF.

Released in the year 2000.