Conference Contribution Details
Mandatory Fields
Jonathan Cherry with Dr Arlene Crampsie (UCD)
Conference of Irish Geographers
Mapping the Ulster Covenant/Declaration
NUI Galway
Non Refereed Paper/Abstract
2013
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Optional Fields
18-MAY-13
18-MAY-13
In opposition to the Third Home Rule Bill for Ireland in late September 1912, over 470,000 people signed the Ulster Covenant/ Declaration. The vast majority of these signatures were made in church buildings, rectories, parochial halls and other assembly halls, in particular Orange halls – that were the primary focal point for many Protestants – across the nine counties of Ulster. While this was an impressive number of signatories to garner, a quarter of those who were considered ‘likely’ or ‘eligible’ to sign the document failed to do so. Using the online database of signatories to the Covenant / Declaration, part of the Ulster Unionist Council archive in PRONI and the 1911 Census of Ireland, this paper aims to firstly, map the sites, locations and numbers signing the document in each of the nine counties and secondly, highlight the areas where Protestants chose not to sign the Covenant/ Declaration and to offer analysis of these patterns. This research is still in its early stages but the general findings will be illustrated with reference to a number of specific cases.