Acronyms and Terms in Irish News

Below is a work in progress of some terms and acronyms you may find, when reading Irish News articles. Some of the terms have no definition or a partial definition. As more information is found, definitions will be revised. Sometimes the news article will give a definition, but mostly articles assume you know the terms and acronyms used. This page will be updated periodically. Suggestions, updates and/or corrections are welcome. Please email WebMaster@aohroanoke.org

Alliance Party - Leader - David Ford - Non-sectarian party which advocates co-operation between Nationalist and Unionist communities and power sharing. Aligned with the Liberal Democrats.

An Taoiseach - The Taoiseach (pronounced tee-shoch [guttural ch]or tee-shah depending on the dialect, the plural: Taoisigh is pronounced tee-shig or tee-shee) An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament), and must, while he or she remains in office, enjoy the confidence of the Dáil. The current Taoiseach is Bertie Ahern, TD, of the Fianna Fáil party.

Atlantic Philanthropies charity - US billionaire Chuck Feeney http://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/press_releases/recent_news03.asp

Attorney General

Belfast Agreement

British Crown Forces

British intelligence -

British Secretary of State - Peter Hain

Chief Constable

CIE - Córas Iompair Eireann -(pronounced CHORUS UM-PAIR AIR-INN) Irish Transport Company

City of the Seven Towers - Ballymena often referred to as Paisley's Town

CJI - The Criminal Justice Inspectorate

Conservative Party -

CPI - The Center for Public Inquiry

Dáil -

Dáil Éireann (dawl air-rinn) - the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland Dáil Éireann is one of the three parts of the Oireachtas, the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann are the other two.

DCI - Director and Coordinator of Intelligence

Democratic Unionists -

Department of Justice -

devolution - Home Rule - delegation of power to a local government from a ruling power.

devolved government – same as devolution. Devolved government at Stormont was suspended in October 2002 following allegations of a republican spy ring

Downing Street or number 10 - residence of the British Prime Minister

DPC - Dublin Port Company (state-owned)

DPP - Director of Public Prosecutions

DUP - Democratic Unionist Party - Ian Paisley. One of the many unionist parties in Northern Ireland. This groups main support comes from fundamentalist protestant groups. This party is the UUPs main competitor.

EAPN - European Anti Poverty Network - Ireland chairman Joe Gallagher

ECJ - European Court of Justice

Equality Commission in Northern Ireland

Fianna Fáil

Fine Gael

Four Courts

FSNI - Forensic Science Northern Ireland

Garda - (An Garda Síochána or Garda Síochána na hÉireann) - Ireland's National Police Service Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy

Gardai - Plural of Garda

Green Party

Good Friday Agreement -

High Court -

HMIC - Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary

House of Commons -

Houses of the Oireachtas; composed of Dáil Éireann (House of Deputies) and Seanad Éireann (Senate).

Human Rights Commission - President Maurice Manning

ILEX = NorthWest Regeneration plan

ILIR - Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform president Grant Lally

IMC - Independent Monitoring Commission

Independent Loyal Orange Institution - ?

INLA - Irish National Liberation Army

Invest NI - ?

IPLO - Irish People's Liberation Organization

IRA -

RIRA - Real IRA

PIRA - Provisionals IRA

CIRA -

IRB -

Irish parliament -

IRSC - Irish Republican Socialist Committee

Justice For The Forgotten - organization formed in 1996

Labour party - leader Pat Rabbitte

Labour front-benchers

Lower Court

Loyalists -

LVF - Loyalist Volunteer Force

Maze (The) -

MI5 - Military Intelligence Section 5 Security Service internal security inside the

United Kingdom US equivalent FBI

MI6 - Military Intelligence Section 6 Secret Intelligence Service security worldwide U.S. equivalent of the CIA

Minister for Foreign Affairs - Brian Cowen

Minister for Justice - Michael McDowell

MP - Members of Parliament

MLA - Members of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly http://www.mla.org.uk/

Mr Justice - Mister Justice followed by name

Nationalists - Pro Ireland

NIO - Northern Ireland Office

NIUP - Northern Ireland Unionist Party

Noraid - Irish Northern Aid -

North's Police Ombudsman - Nuala O'Loan

Northern Ireland Assembly -

Northern Ireland Minister - Lord Rooker

Northern Ireland Secretary - Peter Hain

Oireachtas - (o-rok-tus) Parliament in the Republic of Ireland

OTR - controversial 'on the runs' (OTRs) legislation.

Orange Order -

Orange Volunteers -

OUP - Official Unionist Party - Same as UUP.

PD - leader Mary Harney

Policing Board - chairman Sir Desmond Rea

Prime Minister

Protestant Loyal Orders - Orange Order, Independent Orange Order, Royal Black Institution

Provisionals – term used to define the IRA original organization as opposed to the splinter groups

Provos - Provisionals

PSNI - Police Service of Northern Ireland - Hugh Orde, the chief constable

Public Prosecution Service

PUP - Progressive Unionist Party - loyalist party with ties to the UVF

Redcar -

Republican Movement - term now used to describe IRA

Revolutionary Struggle - A far-left organization

RIR - Royal Irish Regiment soldiers

Royal Black Institution

RTE Radio's News

RUC – Royal Ulster Constabulary - The old RUC, was the controversial 90% + Protestant force policing Northern Ireland. As of 2001 it's name was changed to the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland)

SDLP - Social Democratic and Labour Party - Nationalist party in NI (peaceful ?) leader Mark Durkan

Seanad Éireann – One of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Secret Service -

Sectarianism -

Security Service -

securocrats -

Sinn Féin - Irish for We Ourselves or Ourselves Alone - Nationalist party organized in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Supported by middle class Catholics for a United Ireland.

Special Branch -

Stormont assembly -

Stormont Buildings -

Stormont Executive -

Stormont parliament -

Supreme Court -

Taoiseach - Bertie Ahern

TDs - Teachta Dála (members of the Irish parliament)

Tory leader David Cameron

UDA - Ulster Defence Association ? units? new crime figures revealed Protestant terrorists carried over 90% of security-related shootings in 2005 and a hardline UDA unit is largest offender. UDA's North Belfast division run by Andre and Ihab Shoukri is thought to be the most fiercely opposed to any new peacetime strategy.

UDR - Ulster Defence Regiment renamed to RIR after merging with another regiment in 1992

UKUP - United Kingdom Unionist Party - leader Robert McCartney

Ulster Political Research Group - which advises the UDA

UVF - Ulster Volunteer Force - Protestant paramilitary organization founded in Northern Ireland in 1966

UUC - Ulster Unionist Council

UUP - Ulster Unionist Party - Sir Reg Empey, the UUP leader

Unionists - UUP, NIUP

UYM - Ulster Young Militants linked to the UDA

UYUC - Ulster Young Unionist Council or Young Unionist - The Young Unionists have been in existence since 1946, when they applied for affiliation to the Ulster Unionist Council. Today the new Council is a representative body of the Ulster Unionist Party, with a number of seats at the various levels of Party decision making.

Vanguard Service Corps -

Westminster Parliament -