After December 2020's relevation that there are as many as 12k loyalist paramililtary activists, I began to wonder: Where are these people? I began to skim through work on the UDA and UVF and found the results interesting enough to try piece together. The key finding of note is that UDA members are found well away from former IRA strongholds, with entire 'battalions' based in places like Ballybeen, where finding a breathing Catholic is unlikely. Most of this is based off their own murals and territorial marking/pissing on walls, most of which can be found on https://petermoloneycollection.wordpress.com/ and https://petermoloneycollection.wordpress.com/extramural-activity/. It must also be said that 'Battalion' etc when it comes to the UDA may well be five auld lads in a pub. This is by no mean's exhaustive as I put about an hours work into it but it gives a rough idea of where Loyalism's percieved power is. May also do one on the UVF if this is well-recieved.
South Belfast Brigade UDA:
The UDA's South Belfast Brigade does not use numbers for its battalions, perhaps showing an inability to count to four.
A. Batt: Sandy Row-Roden Street.
B. Batt: Lisburn.
A. Coy of this battalion is Old Warren
B.Coy is also claimed as Old Warren
C.Coy: Hillhall
C. Batt: Taughnamonagh-Seymour Hill
D. Batt: Yet to find a definitive answer as to where this is located, possibly Donegall Pass-Ormeau Road.
West Belfast Brigade UDA:
2nd Batt: (Both West and North Belfast retain their battalion numbers from when Belfast was a single Brigade)
A. Coy: Springhill-Glencairn-Highfield
B. Coy: Woodvale area.
C. Coy: Lower Shankill.
D.Coy: Bangor-Newtownards - a pet project of Adair in the 90's.
North Belfast Brigade UDA:
3rd Batt:
A. Coy: Ballysillan
B.Coy: Ardoyne(Glenbyrne)
C.Coy: Tynedale
D:Coy: Westland
E.Coy: Tiger's Bay
F:Coy: York Road
G.Coy: Shore Road
H.Coy: Silverstream
East Belfast Brigade UDA:
1st Batt: Lower Newtownards Road-Templemore Avenue aka 'Young Newton'
2nd Batt: Dee Street Area
3rd Batt: Ballybeen
4th Batt: Castlereagh
5th Batt: Tullycarnet
6th Batt: North Down (including Newtownards and Bangor, with predictable results)
D.Coy: Ballynahinch
North Antrim-Derry-East Tyrone Brigade UDA
***1st
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