Development
After an initial flurry of activity the UULF, which was a loose alliance at best, ground to a halt. However the movement was given a new lease of life when a meeting was held at the Ulster Hall on 1 November at which the formation of a more formalised arrangement, the Ulster Clubs, was announced. A network of clubs was to established across Northern Ireland with the aim, according to Ian S. Wood, of working to uphold "equal citizenship" and "fight the erosion of their Protestant heritage". Before long 88 clubs had been established with around 20,000 members listed as having joined. The new name was chosen in homage to a similarly titled network established by Edward Carson during the crisis surrounding the Government of Ireland Act 1914.
Wright hoped that the Ulster Clubs could organise a widespread campaign of civil disobedience that would make Northern Ireland ungovernable and endorsed such initiatives as the mass resignation of Unionist MPs and a Day of Action held on 3 March 1986 which featured mass protest marches and strike action. Individual members of the Ulster Clubs also became involved in Peter Robinson's ill-fated attempt to launch an "invasion" of southern Ireland on 7 August 1986 when he led a group of supporters into Clontibret in County Monaghan.
Read more about this topic: Ulster Clubs
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