Laws in both the Republic of Ireland and the UK proscribe (ban) membership of a number of Irish republican and Ulster loyalist groups. Several other smaller paramilitary factions have appeared throughout the Troubles, and some groups have used cover-names to deflect responsibility for attacks.
In this context, operational refers to the period during which the 'official' paramilitary campaign was conducted.
Umbrella groups
Irish Republican Socialist Movement
Umbrella groups
Ulster Army Council (UAC)
Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee (ULCCC)
Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC)
In the table below:
The period of activity for republican groups is shown in green.
The period of activity for loyalist groups is shown in orange.
The period of ceasefire is shown in grey.
British Army
Territorial Army
Force Research Unit
Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
Metropolitan Police
MI5
GCHQ
Secret Intelligence Service
Northern Ireland
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
RUC Special Branch
Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) – to 30 April 1970
Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS)
Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) – from 1 January 1970 to 30 June 1992
Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) – from 1 July 1992
Republic of Ireland
Irish Army
An Garda Síochána (police)
Listing includes brief summary of ideology and position on the Good Friday Agreement 1998.
Sinn Féin (SF). President: Gerry Adams. Militant nationalist. Associated with the Provisional IRA. Translation from Irish: "We Ourselves".
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Leader: Colum Eastwood. Moderate centre-left nationalist.
The Workers' Party (WP). President: Mick Finnegan. Marxist nationalist. Formerly Official Sinn Féin.
The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). Militant socialist nationalist. Political wing of INLA.
Republican Sinn Féin (RSF). President: Des Dalton. Militant nationalist. Associated with the Continuity IRA.
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM). President: Francis Mackey. Militant nationalist. Associated with the Real IRA.
The Republican Network for Unity (RNU). Militant nationalist. Accused by Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) of being the political wing of Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group), however this is rejected by both groups.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Leader: Peter Robinson. Radical populist unionist. Originally anti-Agreement.
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). Leader: Tom Elliott. Moderate conservative unionist.
The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). Leader: Billy Hutchinson. Moderate centre-left unionist. Political wing of Ulster Volunteer Force.
The Conservative Party also organises and contests elections in Northern Ireland. Moderate unionist.
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV). Leader: Jim Allister. Old school loyalist.
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Leader: David Ford. Liberal cross-community. Pro-Agreement
The Green Party. Environmentalist. Pro-Agreement.
Ulster Third Way. Supports Northern Ireland independence.
Northern Ireland government
1921-1972
Governor
Prime Minister
Cabinet
1998-
First Minister and deputy First Minister
Executive
Northern Ireland legislatures
1921-1972
The Parliament of Northern Ireland:
House of Commons
Senate
1972-1998
The Northern Ireland Assembly (1973–1974)
The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975–1976)
The Northern Ireland Assembly (1982–1986)
The Northern Ireland Forum (1996–1998)
1998-
The Northern Ireland Assembly
Republic of Ireland government
Taoiseach (prime minister)
Department of Defence
Department of Foreign Affairs
Dáil Éireann (assembly)
Seanad Éireann (senate)
Prime Minister
The Ministry of Defence (MOD)
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO)
The House of Commons
The House of Lords
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (House of Commons)
The Northern Ireland Grand Committee (House of Commons)
British-Irish Council (BIC)
British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body
North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC)
Sunningdale Agreement (1973)
Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985)
Downing Street Declaration (1993)
Establishment of the IICD (1997)
Belfast Agreement (1998)
Amendment of Articles 2 and 3 (1999)
Establishment of the Independent Monitoring Commission (2003)
IRA ceasefire and decommissioning (2005)
St Andrews Agreement (2006)
Roman Catholic Church in Ireland
Church of Ireland (Anglican)
Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Methodist Church in Ireland
Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
The Apprentice Boys of Derry
The Orange Institution
The Independent Orange Order
The Royal Black Institution
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH)