Key statistics

1998
First Recorded Activity

First Attack

Profile Last Updated

How to Cite

Crenshaw, M., & Robinson, K. (2025). Mapping Militants Project. Rice University. https://doi.org/10.25613/G0K4-WF70
Mapping Militants Project. “Orange Volunteers.” Last modified . https://mappingmilitants.org/node/479/

Profile Contents

Narrative

Narrative of the Organization's History

Organization

Leadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations

Strategy

Ideology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets, and Tactics

Interactions

Foreign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences

Maps

Mapping relationships with other militant groups over time in regional maps

Main Tabs Group

Overview
Formed: 
January 1, 1998
Disbanded: 
January 1, 2011

The Orange Volunteers (OV2) were a small Ulster loyalist Protestant group created in 1998. OV2 was not associated with the group labeled the 1970's 'Orange Volunteer' group, which shared the same name. The group formed after the 1998 Belfast Agreement and opposed the mass calls for Loyalist ceasefires. Since then, they engaged in multiple acts of violence and sectarian harassment, especially through the early 2000s. Their most prominent attack involved the simultaneous attack on 11 Catholic churches in Northern Ireland. The group's last known attack occurred in 2009; since then, the group has become largely inactive. Members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, Loyalist Volunteer Force & UDA have used the OV name as a cover organization.

Organization

Vertical Tabs

Strategy

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Interactions

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