David Adams (loyalist)
Encyclopedia
David Adams is a Northern Irish
loyalist
activist and former politician. He was instrumental in bringing about the loyailst ceasefire of 1994 and played a leading role in the early stages of the Northern Ireland peace process
.
, Adams was a member of the Ulster Defence Association
(UDA) although he did not hold any position of importance within the movement and was never imprisoned. From early on, Adams was much more involved in the political side of loyalism rather than the paramilitary side. Unlike many of his contemporaries in the UDA, Adams was grammar school
educated and gained a reputation as an articulate speaker. Adams, who lived near the Maze Prison and served as a community worker in the area, joined the Ulster Democratic Party
(UDP) after being encouraged to do so by Ray Smallwoods
.
, involved in negotiations between the UDP and the UDA during the early 1990s in which the possibility of a move towards a peace settlement was discussed. The main figure in these talks however was Ray Smallwoods. Adams became a representative to the Combined Loyalist Political Alliance, a semi-clandestine group established around sometime in late 1992 to early 1993 and made up of leading members of the UDP and the Progressive Unionist Party
(PUP), when this initiative was established. This group was central to delivering the loyailst ceasefires.
Adams was close to Ray Smallwoods personally and described himself as "really devastated" following Smallwoods' killing by the Provisional IRA in July 1994. He identified Smallwoods as his mentor in heping to bring him to politics. Nonetheless Adams continued to work towards delivering a ceasefire and was described by Henry McDonald
and Jim Cusack as "one of the moderate voices advising the UDA, even in the darkest days".
(CLMC) ceasefire was announced on 13 October 1994 at Fernhill House, Glencairn when Gusty Spence
read out a joint statement of ceasefire flanked by McMichael, Adams and John White
of the UDP and Jim McDonald and William "Plum" Smith
of the PUP. Although the speech had largely been written by Spence, he credits Adams with including a clause stating that they expected the status of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom
to be safeguarded as part of any settlement. A few days after the announcement Adams joined Spence, McMichael, Joe English
and the PUP's David Ervine
and Billy Hutchinson
on a tour of the United States
where amongst their engagements was one as guests of honour of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy
.
In the late 1990s Adams also represented the UDP on Lisburn Borough Council
. He had been a candidate in the 1993 elections in the Downshire area but had finished bottom of the poll. However in 1997 as candidate in Lisburn Town North Adams was elected. Four years earlier Smallwoods had missed being elected as a councillor in the same area by four votes.
where the two held a hastily arranged meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam
. The recent killing of Loyalist Volunteer Force
leader Billy Wright
, who had a lot of support amongst elements of the UDA made the ceasefire shaky. As a result of the meeting Mowlam was convicned to go onto the UDA wings of the Maze prison in an attempt to regain support for the peace process. Disarray had set in however and by this point the UDA had two wings, those loyal to the ceasefire and the McMichael-Adams UDP leadership and those such as Stephen McKeag
who were continuing to kill despite the ceasefire, with John White falling somewhere between both wings due to his close relationship with Johnny Adair
.
Nonetheless Adams campaigned heavily on behalf of the UDP for the 1998 Assembly elections
and described himself as "dejected and rejected" when the party failed to win any seats. Even an unidentified figure known only as "the Craftsman", who was at the time the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)'s second-in-command, stated that "I was gutted for wee Davy. Not only was he a gentleman but he had a good political brain. He could have kept the UDA on the straight and narrow if he had won an Assembly seat". Adams had been the party's sole candidate in the South Belfast constituency
.
As the UDA ceasefire fell apart and the UDP passed from existence, Adams left politics and instead headed up a number of community projects in his native Lisburn. His last election was the 2001 local government vote in which Adams was unsuccessful in defending his council seat, albeit as an independent
.
Adams joined the Lisburn District Policing Partnership in 2003 although this decision rankled with some in the local UDA who wanted nothing to do with the Police Service of Northern Ireland
. Along with this Adams was accused of owing money to a local printing company run by former UDA prisoners and these two events caused him to become a target for attack. Threats were issued against Adams and both his car and house came under attack.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
activist and former politician. He was instrumental in bringing about the loyailst ceasefire of 1994 and played a leading role in the early stages of the Northern Ireland peace process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
.
Emergence in politics
A native of LisburnLisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
, Adams was a member of the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
(UDA) although he did not hold any position of importance within the movement and was never imprisoned. From early on, Adams was much more involved in the political side of loyalism rather than the paramilitary side. Unlike many of his contemporaries in the UDA, Adams was grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
educated and gained a reputation as an articulate speaker. Adams, who lived near the Maze Prison and served as a community worker in the area, joined the Ulster Democratic Party
Ulster Democratic Party
The Ulster Democratic Party was a small loyalist political party in Northern Ireland. It was established in June 1981 as the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party by the Ulster Defence Association to replace their New Ulster Political Research Group...
(UDP) after being encouraged to do so by Ray Smallwoods
Ray Smallwoods
Raymond "Ray" Smallwoods was a Northern Ireland politician and sometime leader of the Ulster Democratic Party. A leading member of John McMichael's south Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association , Smallwoods later served as a leading adviser to the UDA's Inner Council...
.
Towards ceasefire
Adams was, along with Gary McMichaelGary McMichael
Gary McMichael is the son of former Ulster Defence Association leader John McMichael and was the leader of the now defunct Ulster Democratic Party during the peace process....
, involved in negotiations between the UDP and the UDA during the early 1990s in which the possibility of a move towards a peace settlement was discussed. The main figure in these talks however was Ray Smallwoods. Adams became a representative to the Combined Loyalist Political Alliance, a semi-clandestine group established around sometime in late 1992 to early 1993 and made up of leading members of the UDP and the Progressive Unionist Party
Progressive Unionist Party
The Progressive Unionist Party is a small unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It was formed from the Independent Unionist Group operating in the Shankill area of Belfast, becoming the PUP in 1979...
(PUP), when this initiative was established. This group was central to delivering the loyailst ceasefires.
Adams was close to Ray Smallwoods personally and described himself as "really devastated" following Smallwoods' killing by the Provisional IRA in July 1994. He identified Smallwoods as his mentor in heping to bring him to politics. Nonetheless Adams continued to work towards delivering a ceasefire and was described by Henry McDonald
Henry McDonald (writer)
Henry McDonald is a writer and is the Irish editor for The Observer, the sister paper of The Guardian.McDonald has written extensively about The Troubles, its precedents, its consequences, its demographics, and such. He was born in the nationalist Markets area of Belfast and attended St. Malachy's...
and Jim Cusack as "one of the moderate voices advising the UDA, even in the darkest days".
Ceasefire aftermath
The Combined Loyalist Military CommandCombined Loyalist Military Command
The Combined Loyalist Military Command was an umbrella body for loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland set up in the early 1990s, recalling the earlier Ulster Army Council and Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee....
(CLMC) ceasefire was announced on 13 October 1994 at Fernhill House, Glencairn when Gusty Spence
Gusty Spence
Augustus Andrew "Gusty" Spence was a leader of the Ulster Volunteer Force and a leading loyalist politician. One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade but later renounced violence and joined the Progressive Unionist...
read out a joint statement of ceasefire flanked by McMichael, Adams and John White
John White (loyalist)
John White is a former leading loyalist in Northern Ireland. He was sometimes known by the nickname 'Coco'. White was a leading figure in the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association and, following a prison sentence for murder, entered politics as a central figure in the Ulster Democratic...
of the UDP and Jim McDonald and William "Plum" Smith
William Smith (loyalist)
William Smith is a Northern Irish Loyalist former paramilitary and politician. He has been involved in loyalism in various capacities for at least forty years.-Early life:...
of the PUP. Although the speech had largely been written by Spence, he credits Adams with including a clause stating that they expected the status of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to be safeguarded as part of any settlement. A few days after the announcement Adams joined Spence, McMichael, Joe English
Joe English (loyalist)
Joe English is a former Ulster loyalist activist. English was a leading figure in both the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Democratic Party and was instrumental in the early stages of the Northern Ireland peace process. He is a native of the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey, Northern...
and the PUP's David Ervine
David Ervine
David Ervine was a Northern Irish politician and the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party .-Biography:...
and Billy Hutchinson
Billy Hutchinson
Billy Hutchinson is the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party in Northern Ireland. He was elected to Belfast City Council in 1997 and to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998. He lost his assembly seat in 2003 and his council seat in 2005...
on a tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where amongst their engagements was one as guests of honour of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy
National Committee on American Foreign Policy
The National Committee on American Foreign Policy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan activist organization dedicated to the resolution of conflicts that threaten U.S. interests. Founded in 1974 by Hans J...
.
In the late 1990s Adams also represented the UDP on Lisburn Borough Council
Lisburn City Council
Lisburn City Council is a district council covering an area partly in County Antrim and partly in County Down in Northern Ireland. The council is the second largest in the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Council headquarters are in the city of Lisburn, upon which was conferred city status in May 2002 as...
. He had been a candidate in the 1993 elections in the Downshire area but had finished bottom of the poll. However in 1997 as candidate in Lisburn Town North Adams was elected. Four years earlier Smallwoods had missed being elected as a councillor in the same area by four votes.
Departure from politics
On 7 January 1998 Adams travelled with McMichael to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where the two held a hastily arranged meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
. The recent killing of Loyalist Volunteer Force
Loyalist Volunteer Force
The Loyalist Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright in 1996 when he and the Portadown unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force's Mid-Ulster Brigade was stood down by the UVF leadership. He had been the commander of the Mid-Ulster Brigade. The...
leader Billy Wright
Billy Wright (loyalist)
William Stephen "Billy" Wright was a prominent Ulster loyalist during the period of violent religious/political conflict known as "The Troubles". He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1975 and became commander of its Mid-Ulster Brigade in the early 1990s...
, who had a lot of support amongst elements of the UDA made the ceasefire shaky. As a result of the meeting Mowlam was convicned to go onto the UDA wings of the Maze prison in an attempt to regain support for the peace process. Disarray had set in however and by this point the UDA had two wings, those loyal to the ceasefire and the McMichael-Adams UDP leadership and those such as Stephen McKeag
Stephen McKeag
Stephen McKeag , known as Topgun or Top Gun, was a Northern Irish loyalist who became one of the most notorious figures within the Ulster Defence Association's 'C' Company in the 1990s...
who were continuing to kill despite the ceasefire, with John White falling somewhere between both wings due to his close relationship with Johnny Adair
Johnny Adair
Jonathan Adair, better known as Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair is the former leader of the "C Company", 2nd Battalion Shankill Road, West Belfast Brigade of the "Ulster Freedom Fighters" . This was a cover name used by the Ulster Defence Association , an Ulster loyalist paramilitary organisation...
.
Nonetheless Adams campaigned heavily on behalf of the UDP for the 1998 Assembly elections
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1998
-Seats summary:-Details:Although the SDLP won the most first preference votes, the Ulster Unionists won the most seats in the Assembly. This has been attributed to several reasons, including:...
and described himself as "dejected and rejected" when the party failed to win any seats. Even an unidentified figure known only as "the Craftsman", who was at the time the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)'s second-in-command, stated that "I was gutted for wee Davy. Not only was he a gentleman but he had a good political brain. He could have kept the UDA on the straight and narrow if he had won an Assembly seat". Adams had been the party's sole candidate in the South Belfast constituency
Belfast South (Assembly constituency)
Belfast South is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
.
As the UDA ceasefire fell apart and the UDP passed from existence, Adams left politics and instead headed up a number of community projects in his native Lisburn. His last election was the 2001 local government vote in which Adams was unsuccessful in defending his council seat, albeit as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Adams joined the Lisburn District Policing Partnership in 2003 although this decision rankled with some in the local UDA who wanted nothing to do with the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
. Along with this Adams was accused of owing money to a local printing company run by former UDA prisoners and these two events caused him to become a target for attack. Threats were issued against Adams and both his car and house came under attack.