Frankie Gallagher - Work With UPRG

Work With UPRG

Gallagher had little involvement in politics prior to the dissolution of the Ulster Democratic Party, but rather was a community worker in East Belfast who was known to count Michael Stone amongst his friends. During this time he also worked for 'Gae Lairn', an Ulster Scots based community project for former prisoners. Nevertheless, despite his comparatively low profile, when the UDA decided to recall the UPRG Gallagher was chosen along with the likes of Tommy Kirkham and Sammy Duddy to provide a new team of spokesmen for their political arm.

Gallagher became one of the leading spokesmen for the organisation and announced the UDA ceasefire in 2003. Subsequently he joined Kirkham, Frank McCoubrey, Jackie McDonald and Stanley Fletcher in a historic meeting with Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2004.