Table Of ContentBOSTON
PUBLIC
LIBRARY
ED MOLONEY was born in 1948 and educated in England and
at Queen’s University, Belfast. He began his career as a
freelance journalist in Belfast. A former assistant editor of
Hibernia he was Northern editorofthe Irish Times from 1981 to
,
1985
ANDY POLLAK was born in Ballymena, Co. Antrim - Ian
Paisley’s home town - and has been a journalist in Belfast,
Dublin, London and Latin America. In Belfasthe workedforthe
BBC and the Irish Times and also edited the Northern Ireland
current affairsmagazine. Fortnight. He isnowareporterwith the
Irish Times in Dublin.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2015
in
https://archive.org/details/paisleyOOmolo
PAISLEY
ED MOLONEY&ANDY POLLAK
POOLBEG
,
A Paperback Original
First published 1986 by
Poolbeg Press Ltd.,
Knocksedan House,
Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland
©
Ed Moloney and Andy Poliak, 1986
ISBN 090516975 1
All rightsreserved. Nopartofthispublication maybe
reproducedortransmitted in anyformorbyanymeans,
electronicormechanical, includingphotocopy, recording,or
anyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem, without
permission in writingfrom thepublisher. The book issold
subjecttothecondition that itshall not, bywayoftradeor
otherwise, be lent, re-soldorotherwisecirculatedwithout the
publisher’spriorconsent in anyformofbindingorcoverother
thanthat in which it ispublishedandwithout asimilar
condition includingthiscondition beingimposedon the
subsequent purchaser.
Editors:
Lorna Stevens
Antony Farrell
Hilary O’Donoghue
Coverdesign by Steven Hope
incorporating photographs by Derek Speirs
Index by Helen Litton
Map ofFree Presbyterian Churches
by Brian O’Donoghue
Typeset from Computer Discs byTypographies
Steeple Lane, Lucan, Co. Dublin.
Printed byThe Guernsey Press Ltd.
Vale, Guernsey, Channel Islands.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book could not have been written without the assistance of
a great many people, most of whom we are constrained by the
ethics ofjournalism from naming. There are some, however, we
can thank personally.
Joan McKiernan spent countless hours transcribing and
summarising dozensoftape-recorded interviews. Both Joan and
Doireann Ni Bhriainoffered lovingsupport and helpful criticism
at times of depression and near incoherence, while Ciaran
Moloney pluckily endured almost nine fatherless months.
Our friends and former Irish Times colleagues, David
McKittrick and Fionnuala O’Connor read drafts of the
manuscript and gave much needed encouragement and
invaluable advice. Any deficiencies in the finished product are,
however, entirely our responsibility. David also put his
unrivalled knowledgeofLoyalistpoliticsandparamilitaryaffairs
freely at our disposal.
We would also like to give special thanks to Clifford Smyth,
whose excellent PhD thesis on the Democratic Unionist Party
helped to guide us through the maze of Paisleyite politics.
Clifford alsogavegenerouslyofhistime andinsights, despitethe
demands of his own book on Paisley, and we are duly grateful.
David Taylor’s illuminating PhD thesis on Paisleyism was of
inestimable value in helpingusto understand the innerworkings
ofthe Free Presbyterian Church.
Others who were particularly helpful were Wallace
Thompson, the Rev. Martin Smyth, William Craig, Richard
Reid and Steve Bruce. The staff of the Linenhall library in
Belfast gave ungrudging assistance despite our constant
demands. Thanks are also due to the NI controller of the BBC,
V
James Hawthorne, who gave us access to the BBC library in
Belfast, andtoJean Gamble forall herhelp. The photolibraryof
the Belfast Telegraph and the staffof Pacemaker were generous
with assistance as were the Irish Times librarians. Hilary
O’Donoghue of Poolbeg Press dealt patiently and good-
humouredly with all our problems.
We wrote twice to the Rev Ian Paisley asking for an interview
but have yet to receive a reply. Many current and former
members of his church and party were, however, less reticent
and, although wishing to remain anonymous, gave us their co-
operation in researching thisbook. Tothem andtomembersand
ex-members of the following groups and organisations with
which the Rev Paisley was associated over the years, we extend
particular thanks: The National Union of Protestants, Ulster
Protestant Action, the Protestant Unionists, the Ulster
Constitution Defence Committee, the Ulster Protestant
Volunteers, the Official Unionist Party, the Ulster Workers
Council, the United Unionist Action Council, Vanguard, the
Independent Unionist movement, the Orange Order, the
Apprentice Boys of Derry, the UDA, the UVF and the Red
Hand Commandos. A numberofPresbyterian ministers, former
Northern Ireland Office Ministers and Unionist Cabinet
Ministers also gave us help, as did past and presentcivil servants
RUC
and officers.
Ed Moloney
Andy Poliak
Belfast,
August 1986 j
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Part 1
One ASeparateYouth 7
Two BuildingaChurch 42
Three God, Gunsand Politics 77
Four TheTraitoronthe Bridge 105
Five TheWhirlwind 145
Six ACatonaHotBrick 180
Seven TheBogofBitterness 192
Part 2
Eight TheFearfulFundamentalists 215
Nine ForGodandUlster 261
Ten Atthe GrassRoots 301
Part 3
Eleven ThePoliticsoftheWeeProtestantHall 319
Twelve TheGrandOldDukeofYork 352
Thirteen TheConfederacyoftheBeast 402
Fourteen AManoutofSeason 417
Fifteen AProphetAmongHisOwnPeople 433
Notes 441
Bibliography 445
Index 449
To Joan and Ciaran and in memory ofmy parents
Ed Moloney
To Doireann, Eileen and Claire, and to Val for courage
Andy Poliak
