Many groups had been formed throughout the number of years of conflict in
Northern Ireland, the different groups usually consisted of all catholics, all protestants or
in some cases groups were mixed, but not very often was this the case. One group was
known as the Apprentice Boys, a militant protestant group that barred the Derry gates to
approaching catholic armies of catholic King James in 1689 ("Kelley" IX). As a result of
the attacks on the British police force, a group called the Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) was formed and were given heavy arms. An all protestant volunteer force called
the Ulster Special Constabulary assisted the police in their operations ("Northern" World
Book 530). The Special Air Services (SAS), was an undercover unit of the British army
that has fought in almost all of Britain's colonial wars since WWII. This group has also
been active in Northern Ireland since 1975 ("Kelley" XIII). The Ulster Defence
Regiment (UDR) was a branch of the British army which operates a locally rasied militia
in Northern Ireland. this group was all protestant and consisted of both full time and part
time members. The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) was also an all protestant group
which has run electoral campaigns in support of an independent six county Ulster as part
of an effort to moderate it's image ("Kelley" XIII).