British Army (BA)
The United Kingdom's (UK) standing army. Although the British
Army has been barracked in Northern Ireland before and since the
setting up of the Northern Ireland state, the army was only deployed
on the streets of the region on 14 August 1969. For much of the
present conflict the British Army played the leading security
role in the region. However, since the policy of 'Ulsterisation'
the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) has been given the lead role
and the British Army plays a supporting role. Approximately 501 members of the British Army have been killed in incidents related to the conflict. The British Army have killed 316 people during the conflict of whom 166 were civilians and the majority of these were Catholics.
[Main Entry] [Web Site]
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Television and radio broadcasting company providing a service
in the United Kingdom. BBC Northern Ireland has been reporting
'the Troubles' since they began. The organisation has found itself
under intense pressure from opposing sides on a number of disputes.
The major political interference in the operation of the broadcast
media occurred with the introduction of the broadcasting ban on 19 October 1988.
[Main Entry] [Web Site]
British Intelligence
(See: Security Service, MI5; and Military Intelligence.)
British Irish Association (BIA)
An independent organisation which was founded in 1972 with
the aim of improving understanding of the conflict in Northern
Ireland. The group does not have formal membership but holds a
large private annual conference to discuss Northern Ireland. The
BIA invites politicians, diplomats, academics, officials and others,
from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Britain, to
this conference which is usually held in England. The group organises
other smaller ad hoc meetings.
British-Irish Council (BIC)
synonyms: Council of the Isles
This body was established under the Good Friday Agreement (1998) and consists of representatives drawn from members of the British and Irish governments, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, and the democratic institutions of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The main objective of the Council is to seek to promote links between the various governments, assemblies, and institutions.
See also:
Dates and Communiqués of Meetings of the British-Irish Council.
[Web site]
British Irish Exchange (BIE)
A project set up to improve British Irish relationships. The
project is administered by the British Irish Exchange Education
Trust and is based in England but operates throughout Britain
and Ireland. The project helps groups with an interest in fostering
better understanding to set up a series of exchange visits.
British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC)
The name given to the body established under the terms of Good Friday Agreement (1998) which would allow for the British Prime Minister and the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) to meet and discuss issues concerning the 'totality of relationships' between Britain and Ireland. The BIIC replaced both the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council and the Intergovernmental Conference which were established under the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA).
See also:
Details of meetings of the BIIC
British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (BIIPB)
The BIIPB was established on 26 February 1990 and grew out of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council (AIIC). The BIIPB meets every six months to discuss issues of common concern. The BIIPB was initially made up of 25 British Members of Parliament (MPs) and 25 Irish members of the Dáil (TDs). Three of the British members are reserved for MPs from Northern Ireland; two Unionist and one Nationalist. However, both the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Democratice Unionist Party (DUP) have refused to take up their seat on the body, and it was not until 24 April 2006 that DUP MPs agreed to attend a meeting of the BIIPB to make a presentation. In February 2001 the BIIPB was enlarged to include representatives of the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA), the High Court of Tynwald and the States of Guernsey and Jersey. (During the suspension of the NIA no MLAs attended the meetings of the BIIPB. Previous co-chairmen of the BIIPB were: Peter Temple Morris (British MP) and Paul Bradford (Irish Teachta Dála; TD).
[Web Site]
British Irish RIGHTS WATCH (BIRW)
British Irish Rights Watch is an independent non-governmental organisation and registered charity that monitors the human rights dimension of the conflict and the peace process in Northern Ireland. Our services are available to anyone whose human rights have been affected by the conflict, regardless of religious, political or community affiliations, and we take no position on the eventual constitutional outcome of the peace process.
Publications produced by BIRW include:
British Irish Rights Watch. (1999) Deadly Intelligence: State Involvement in Loyalist Murder in Northern Ireland - Summary. London: British Irish Rights Watch.
British Irish Rights Watch. (1994) 'Bloody Sunday' - Submission to the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Summary and Arbitrary Executions. London: British Irish Rights Watch.
[Web Site]
British Ulster Dominion Party (BUDP)
synonyms: Ulster Dominion Group (UDG)
A small group originally formed by Professor Kennedy Lindsay in
1975 which argued that Northern Ireland should become a self-governing
dominion. Under this particular plan the Queen would remain as
monarch and there would be a resident governor-general. The group
was initially called the Ulster Dominion Group but the named was
changed in 1977 to BUDP.
Notes:
(xx) Indicates that an entry is being prepared.
(?) Information is a best estimate while awaiting an update.
(??) Information is doubtful and is awaiting an update.
[Main Entry] Indicates that a longer separate entry is planned in the future.
For related and background information see also:
- The list of acronyms associated with 'the Troubles'.
- The glossary of terms related to the conflict.
- The biographies of people who were prominent during 'the Troubles'.
- The chronology of the conflict.
Sources:
The information in the abstracts has been compiled from numerous primary and secondary sources. The best general sources for additional information are:
- Crozier, Maurna., and Sanders, Nicholas. (eds.) (1992) Cultural Traditions Directory for Northern Ireland. Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University.
- Dunn, Seamus., and Dawson, Helen. (2000) An Alphabetical Listing of Word, Name and Place in Northern Ireland. Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press.
- Elliott, Sydney., and Flackes, W.D. (1999) Northern Ireland: A Political Directory, 1968-1999. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.
- Hinds, Joe. (1994), A Guide to Peace, Reconciliation and Community Relations Projects in Ireland. Belfast: Community Relations Council.
initial letter of the name of the organisation
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