General
Loyalist - Someone who is opposed to a united Ireland and supports the Union with Britain.
Republican - A supporter of a united Irish Republic, incorporating Northern Ireland.
Unionist - A supporter of Northern Ireland's political union with Britain.
 

Alliance Party
Led by Sean Neeson, this is the only non-sectarian party in Northern Ireland (apart from the Women's Coalition) and attracts support from both Catholics and Protestants. The Alliance works for a compromise between the two communities and a continuing British presence in Northern Ireland. It has six seats in the Northern Irish Assembly, representing a 5.5 per cent share of the vote.

CRF - Catholic Reaction Force
A cover-name used by the INLA and the IPLO (see below).

Continuity IRA/CIRA
A splinter group which emerged in 1996 after the "official" IRA's ceasefire, and is believed to incorporate former members of several republican paramilitary groups.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
The right-wing Democratic Unionists believe that Northern Ireland should be an integral part of the United Kingdom, and have vehemently opposed the Good Friday Agreement and Sinn Fein's participation in peace talks. Led by the Reverend Ian Paisley, they hold 20 seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly - just over 18 per cent.

E4A
The special intelligence unit of the RUC (see below), believed to have been responsible for several "shoot-to-kill" incidents in Northern Ireland during the 1980s.

Fianna Fail
The centrist Fianna Fail (Soldiers of Destiny) is the more republican of the two main Irish political parties. Founded in 1926 by Eamon de Valera, it is currently led by the Irish Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.

Fine Gael
The second largest political party in Ireland, led by John Bruton.

Gardai
The Irish police force.

INLA - Irish National Liberation Army
Initially known as the People's Liberation Army after its formation in 1975, the INLA is a republican paramilitary group responsible for about 125 killings. It has suffered from a great deal of internal feuding, and announced a ceasefire in the summer of 1998. Its publicity statements can be found at the IRSP's website.

IPLO - Irish People's Liberation Organisation
A group that broke away from the INLA (see above) and was subsequently involved in the dispute between the Army Council and Belfast Brigade, both of which disbanded in 1992.

IRA - Irish Republican Army
The chief Republican paramilitary group, with links to Sinn Fein and sharing its desire to unite Ireland. While the IRA is holding to a ceasefire, the Continuity or Real IRA splinter group remains nominally active. History:
The IRA's 1999 New Year message

IRSP - Irish Republican Socialist Party
The IRSP supports the INLA ceasefire, but opposes the Good Friday Agreement. Founded in 1974 by Seamus Costello, it seeks an all-Ireland socialist republic and the release of IRSP prisoners.

Labour Party of Northern Ireland
A left-wing Northern Irish party, conceived in 1996 as an alternative to the unionist and nationalist parties. It failed to win any seats in the 1998 Assembly elections.

Labour Party of Ireland
Left-wing Irish party, led by Ruairi Quinn, which has formed coalition governments with both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
LVF - Loyalist Volunteer Force
A Protestant paramilitary group, formed in 1996, primarily made up of ex-Ulster Volunteer Force members. The original Leader, Billy Wright, was killed by a member of the INLA in the Maze prison in December 1997. A number of LVF killings ensued.

Na Fianna
Republican youth movement, affiliated to Sinn Fein.

Official IRA
The OIRA was formed by members of the original IRA, which split in 1970. It has carried out very few attacks since a ceasefire in 1972, although in the mid-1970s a feud with the IRSP developed.

Orange Order
The largest of the Loyalist orders, with between 80-10,000 members, the Orange Order holds numerous parades in Northern Ireland celebrating the British presence in Northern Ireland. These occasionally lead to violence, notably at Drumcree.

Parades Commission
A committee formed early in 1997 to try to mediate between loyalist marching organisations and the Catholic residents of the areas they pass through.

People's Democracy
A civil rights organisation which participated in elections until 1982. The PD was formed by students from Queens' University in Belfast to protest against alleged police brutality in 1968, and later clashed with Ian Paisley's loyalist demonstrators.

PAF - Protestant Action Force
A cover name for the loyalist UVF.

Provisionals/Provos
Another name for the IRA, which split into two factions - the Provisional IRA and the Official IRA.

PUP - Progressive Unionist Party
The left-wing PUP, with two seats in the new Assembly, generally supports the Good Friday Agreement , believing that it will effectively lead to greater autonomy from the Republic. However, it remains staunchly unionist and has close links with the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Red Hand Commandos and the Combined Loyalist Military Command, now banned.

Red Hand Commandos
A loyalist paramilitary group which was officially outlawed in 1973. It is associated with the UVF and forms part of the Combined Loyalist Military Command, which declared a ceasefire in 1994.

RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary)
The RUC gradually took over the British Army's duties in policing Northern Ireland. Over 300 of its members (who are predominantly Protestant) have been killed during the Troubles, and approximately 50 people have been killed by the RUC.

Sinn Fein
The republican Sinn Fein, led by Gerry Adams, advocates a united Ireland free from British rule. It has links with the IRA. The party supports the Good Friday Agreement, and polled just over 16 per cent of the vote in the Assembly elections.

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)
Led by John Hume, the SDLP wants to achieve the reunification of Ireland through democratic means. It has talked with Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein, but always refused to enter into any form of alliance with the party. The SDLP is now the second largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, with 24 seats.

UDA - Ulster Defence Association
Also known as the Ulster Freedom Fighters, the UDA is the largest Loyalist paramilitary group and has been active during the 1990s. It forms part of the Combined Loyalist Military Command, which declared a ceasefire in October 1994.

UDP - Ulster Democratic Party
Led by the 26-year-old Gary McMichael, the UDP supports the Good Friday Agreement and endorses a progressive brand of unionism, in which Northern Ireland would remain part of Britain but with a devolved legislative parliament.

UDR - Ulster Defence Regiment
A regiment of the British Army in Northern Ireland that came into existence in 1972. Almost exclusively Protestant, the regiment was accused of having links with Loyalist terrorists, and eventually merged with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992.

UFF - Ulster Freedom Fighters
A cover name for the Ulster Defence Association.

United Kingdom Unionist Party
A unionist party led by Robert McCartney, who broke away from the Ulster Unionist Party last year. Like the DUP, it did not participate in the Stormont talks. The UKUP won five seats (4.5 per cent) in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in 1998.

UUP - Ulster Unionist Party
The UUP is led by David Trimble and holds around a quarter of the seats in the new Assembly, making it the largest party. It has close links with the Orange Order, and has always opposed a united Ireland. Trimble did sign the Good Friday Agreement, but tried to exclude Sinn Fein from the talks at Stormont.

Ulster Volunteer Force
A loyalist paramilitary group which has been responsible for many sectarian killings. It forms part of the Combined Loyalist Military Command, which declared a ceasefire in October 1994. UVF statements can be found on the Progressive Unionist Party's website.

Women's Coalition
Holds two seats in the new Assembly. The Coalition promotes issues of particular concern to Northern Irish women, is non-sectarian and supports the Good Friday Agreement. Led by Monica McWilliams.