A ginger group in the Orange Order known as “Cell” was led by Canon Ernest Long who said “Cell” was taken from the idea of a small seed that could influence a larger group. I assume the larger group was the Orange Order. William McGrath joined Cell in the 1960s and Canon Long, was uncomfortable with McGrath’s strident views and left. McGrath grabbed the opportunity and became chair and changed its name to Tara which became a paramilitary group in late 1969. I received an anonymous invitation to join it and other Orange organisations and joined. The invite was given me by William McGrath but was said to be from someone else.
I was also invited in the letter to join the Orange Lodge of Research in the early 1960s, formed by a moderate Orangeman and whose members engaged in historical research into the Order’s history, but others were motivated by fear for the future of the Orange Institution. At one memorable meeting a speaker told members they should feel free to invite Catholic priests to visit their lodge meetings. This received a startled, immediate and fierce reaction. This began with a member from a nationalist area shouting “Never! never! Never!” Others began to repeat the refrain and soon the whole place joined in shouting until order was eventually restored.
This reaction symbolised the differences within Orangeism. In the minds of some, the primary aim was academic, but others feared for the future and wished to ensure that Orangeism, would stick to the old ways believing that Orangeism and Protestantism risked serious decline. Given this it was remarkable that Senator Lennon of the Ancient Order of Hibernians asked for a meeting with Sir George Clark, Orange Order Grand Master. The objective he said was to consider ways and means of ending discrimination in employment. The Grand Master accepted the invitation and was prepared to engage in talks however, they never agreed that discrimination existed, and some completely rejected the allegation.
McGrath was then secretary and unofficial controller of a Protestant evangelical mission, the Christian Fellowship Centre and Irish Emancipation Crusade (CFCIEC) with an Irish slant that claimed to preach an evangelical gospel to the whole Irish people. He also began passing letters to me from an unnamed source said to be interested in my future. I suspect McGrath wrote these himself, but his activities involved more than one man on his own. He frequently passed letters to me which I suspect had come from a hard-line MI5 group.
At that time, I was contacted by a small firm in the Shankill area, which I had worked with in the past, but was then being sold. I wasn’t interested because they were doing the same kind of work I was doing but I mentioned it to McGrath in passing. His reaction shocked me as he immediately claimed that the profits from the business could be “the salvation of Ireland.” By this he meant the conversion of Irish Catholics as a means of increasing Protestant numbers. This for him was of crucial important because evangelicalism was said to preach the true gospel, which he claimed was dying out in Ireland.
He then suggested we could pay half of the cost each, but his part of the price never materialised, and he then told me I should have known he had no money. My dad died of stomach cancer at that time in 1962, and I believe McGrath wrongly thought I would inherit a small fortune and share it with him, but dad had been very ill and left only petty cash and debts whereas I had returned from college penniless.
McGrath then offered to do the practical work, which seemed fair, and I expected him to do this although doubts remained. I decided we could purchase the business as a partnership if he did what he promised and paid the £200 but nothing was ever paid. More anonymous letters arrived either typed or written in capital letters to disguise the writer’s identity. McGrath claimed to be working with British Intelligence, and I suspected an extreme element in MI5 was involved.
McGrath was the self-selected leader of Tara, who as a British Israelite believed the UK and the Commonwealth inherited Old Testament promises to Israel. British Israelism was said by some to be associated with British Imperialism and that promises to Israel in the Old Testament now apply to Britain and the Commonwealth. This kind of thinking also existed in Southern Africa and other places, in which Tara members played a part. At least one Tara man was killed in South Africa while laying explosives in a nearby country. A leading British Israelite based in Dublin said a member of Ireland’s Heritage Orange Lodge had set up an Orange Lodge in Johannesburg. There were other British Israel contacts and support in Europe.
McGrath like some other British Israelites thought British people had a destiny under God and would play a major part at the end time when Christ returned to occupy the British throne and lead the British people in a military struggle against their enemies. Jay Wyatt said McGrath invited him to a meeting at McGrath’s home at Faith House, where most of the sexual abuse he perpetrated had taken place in the past when Faith House had moved locations several times. It is believed that potentially hundreds of victims, mostly boys and some women in Belfast were abused.
When I first told a UVF leader that Tara was being formed inside the Orange Order, he immediately said, “We’ll come in with you.” He never asked me to explain but I told McGrath that the UVF wished to join with Tara inside the Orange Order. Mc Grath was not keen possibly because he could not control the UVF whose leadership wanted an end to sectarianism. McGrath was displeased but could do nothing hence the UVF became part of Tara. Later the Tara leader, admitted that the UVF attended meetings regularly and fulfilled their obligations. However, when the UVF learned that McGrath was a sexual predator many UVF walked from Tara as a group. As they left one leader told me they were engaged in “new thinking” and I was thrilled at this because I knew what he meant and trusted him.
Tara under McGrath was intended to become an army capable of defeating all enemies including the Irish state and Communism. However, his politics were not based on compromise and accommodation and could have led to genocide or unending conflict and terrible suffering. The UVF’s non-religious approach made it easier for Tara’s leader to denigrate the UVF as Communist but the UVF approach was more rational in seeking a more democratic, peaceful, accommodating and inclusive way forward. The UVF was not religiously oriented but in an intransigent sense as Tara was, although the UVF had used the slogan For God and Ulster.
Gusty Spence wanted an end to sectarianism and sectarian language and instead of referring to Protestants and Catholics he suggested that Unionists and Republicans be referred to. The Tara leader had no time for this or for the UVF’s “new thinking”. He seemed determined to see a violent struggle that would not be amenable to any form of compromise, which is an essential element in ending conflict.
Jay Wyatt met an Englishman at Faith House who was introduced as an Under-Secretary at Stormont, which might refer to an element in MI5. Jay said Under-Secretary referred to “political advisor” types who often headed up MI5’ operations in Northern Ireland. The HIAI knew that an element in MI5 was more extreme and had their own dubious agenda that was possibly closer to McGrath’s. Jay visited parts of Europe as well as Africa where arms etc were available.
