Ulster Special Constabulary

E384971

The Ulster Special Constabulary was a reserve police force in Northern Ireland, largely Protestant and unionist, that played a controversial paramilitary-style role in maintaining British rule and countering Irish republican activity in the early 20th century.

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf auxiliary police force
paramilitary organization
reserve police force
accusedOf collusion with loyalist paramilitaries
human rights abuses
sectarian bias
appliesToJurisdiction Northern Ireland
armed true
composition part-time volunteers
conflict Irish Civil War
surface form: Irish Civil War (border campaigns)

Irish War of Independence
early stages of the Troubles
inter-communal violence in Northern Ireland (1920s)
controversial true
country United Kingdom
dissolved 1970
hasPart Ulster Special Constabulary self-linksurface differs
surface form: Ulster Special Constabulary A Specials

Ulster Special Constabulary self-linksurface differs
surface form: Ulster Special Constabulary B Specials

Ulster Special Constabulary self-linksurface differs
surface form: Ulster Special Constabulary C Specials
headquartersLocation Belfast
ideology Ulster unionism
inception 1920
languageOfName English
legalStatus armed reserve of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
locatedIn Northern Ireland
motto For God and Ulster
nickname B Specials
opposedBy Irish Republican Army
Irish republican movement
parentOrganization Royal Ulster Constabulary
partOf security forces of Northern Ireland
precededBy Ulster Volunteer Force
surface form: Ulster Volunteer Force (pre-World War I)
reasonForAbolition perceived sectarian nature
reforms of policing in Northern Ireland in late 1960s
recruitmentPolicy open in law but overwhelmingly Protestant in practice
religiousComposition predominantly Protestant
replacedBy Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve
Ulster Defence Regiment
role border patrol
counter-insurgency
internal security
protection of infrastructure
shortName USC
significantEvent disbandment following Hunt Report recommendations
expansion during 1920–1922 violence in Northern Ireland
supportedBy Ulster unionist community

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

anti-Treaty IRA opponent Ulster Special Constabulary
Tan War hasParticipant Ulster Special Constabulary
Ulster Defence Regiment precededBy Ulster Special Constabulary
pre-1969 Irish Republican Army opposedOrganization Ulster Special Constabulary
Ulster Special Constabulary hasPart Ulster Special Constabulary self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Ulster Special Constabulary A Specials
Ulster Special Constabulary hasPart Ulster Special Constabulary self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Ulster Special Constabulary B Specials
Ulster Special Constabulary hasPart Ulster Special Constabulary self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Ulster Special Constabulary C Specials