Saor Uladh facts for kids

Saor Uladh (which means "Free Ulster" in Irish) was a small group in Northern Ireland during the 1950s. They were an Irish republican group, meaning they wanted Northern Ireland to be part of a united Ireland, separate from the United Kingdom. This group only existed for a short time.

What Was Saor Uladh?

Saor Uladh was a group that broke away from a larger organization called the Irish Republican Army (IRA). They were formed in 1953 in County Tyrone. The main leaders were Liam Kelly and Phil O'Donnell.

How Saor Uladh Started

Liam Kelly had been removed from the IRA in 1951. This happened because he carried out an attack in Derry without permission. When he left the IRA, some of his friends and colleagues joined him. Together, they formed Saor Uladh. At first, the new group carried out armed robberies to get money.

Their Goals and Ideas

In 1954, Saor Uladh created a political part of their group called Fianna Uladh. Liam Kelly was even elected to the Seanad (a part of the Irish parliament) in 1954. This was helped a lot by Seán MacBride, a well-known politician.

Unlike some other republican groups at the time, Saor Uladh accepted the rules of the Constitution of Ireland. They also recognized the Dáil Éireann, which is the main parliament of the Republic of Ireland. Saor Uladh was thought to be connected to a political party called Clann na Poblachta. This party was part of the government in the Republic of Ireland. However, no official link was ever confirmed.

Weapons and Actions

Liam Kelly had contacts in the United States of America. These contacts helped Saor Uladh get weapons. They received guns, explosives, and even anti-tank weapons. Despite having powerful weapons, the group mainly attacked army buildings. They also bombed bridges and customs posts. Customs posts are places where people check goods and passports at a country's border.

Key Events and Attacks

Saor Uladh was involved in three important attacks between 1955 and 1957.

• In 1955, they attacked a police station in Rosslea, County Fermanagh. During this attack, one of their members, Volunteer Connie Green, sadly lost his life.
• On November 11, 1956, Saor Uladh worked with another small IRA group from Dublin. They used bombs to destroy six customs posts along the border.
• In May 1957, the group blew up a lock on the Newry Canal. They used explosives called gelignite that they had stolen.

Their actions included destroying several customs posts. They also raided police buildings. Saor Uladh was strongest in County Tyrone. In this area, the main IRA group had to accept Saor Uladh because Liam Kelly was very popular.

The End of Saor Uladh

When the Border Campaign began, Saor Uladh joined back with the main IRA group. After the attack on the Newry Canal, twelve members of Saor Uladh were sent to a camp. This camp was called the Curragh Camp in 1957. While there, other IRA members at the camp did not welcome them.

During the short time Saor Uladh existed, two of its members died.