W. Paul Loane Papers 1960-20011981-1994
Collection 3092
6 boxes, 2.1 lin. feet
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
English, Ukrainian, Greek The majority
of the collection is in English. Several items pertaining to Ukrainian and Greek
Orthodox churches are in Ukrainian and Greek, respectively. In some cases, a
translation is provided.
W. Paul Loane is an intriguing character to whom many labels
apply: native Philadelphian, Ulsterman, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and sommelier.
During the 1980s, he fervently supported Loyalist causes in Northern Ireland, formed
ties with paramilitary, political, and cultural groups and became the North American
Representative for the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and the Ulster Democratic
Party (UDP). By the late 1990s, however, he had become a proponent of reconciliation
with the Republic of Ireland, visiting Nationalist shrines in Northern Ireland and,
eventually, converting to Roman Catholicism.
The collection documents many
aspects of Loane’s life, from his political and cultural interests to his
professional expertise in the field of wine and spirits. It consists of pamphlets,
notices and publications from Ulster-related societies and organizations. There are
newspaper clippings, articles written by Loane, ephemera and correspondence. In
addition, there are photographs and fifteen audio tapes.
Loane, whose full name is William Paul Coppinger Loane, was born in Philadelphia in
the 1940s. His father, the Reverend William P. C. Loane, Sr., was an Episcopal
clergyman and music scholar who had emigrated from County Antrim, Northern Ireland,
to Philadelphia as a teenager. His mother, Florence Parker Loane, was a pianist
trained at Oberlin Conservatory. Loane grew up in North Philadelphia and attended
William Penn Charter School. He graduated from Great Valley High School in Paoli,
Pennsylvania.
From 1965 through 1968, Loane served in the U. S. Army as a military policeman. While
stationed in Germany, he was exposed to German wines and toured several vineyards.
This sparked an interest in wines and an aspiration to become a wine expert. After
his military service ended, Loane attended Peirce Junior College in Philadelphia
and, later, Penn State University. He held various jobs before becoming the wine
steward at The Greenhouse Restaurant in Radnor, Pennsylvania in 1976, a position he
held for many years.
As an adult, Paul Loane frequently visited relatives in Northern Ireland and became
active in the politics of the area during “The Troubles,” the period of violent
political and ethnic conflict that began during the 1960s. He considered himself an
Ulsterman and formed ties with Loyalist paramilitary and political organizations,
most notably the UDA, a group that openly used violence to reject amalgamation with
the Republic of Ireland, and its political arm, the UDP. By the 1980s, Loane was the
North American Representative for both organizations. He was, in addition, active in
the Loyal Orange Institution, the Somme Association, and many Ulster heritage
groups.
Although many UDA members were known for their sectarianism, Loane sought to recast
the conflict in Northern Ireland in purely political terms, and his writings on the
topic are notable for their lack of anti-Catholic rhetoric. In 1995, he arranged to
meet and shake hands with Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, the political arm of
the Irish Republican Army. Eventually, Loane became convinced that reconciliation
was the solution to the conflict, and he converted to Roman Catholicism. He
continues to reside in the Philadelphia area.
The collection, which came to HSP in no discernable order, is arranged into three
series and spans the years 1960 to 2001. The bulk of the materials range from 1983
to 1994 and reflect Loane’s involvement in the Loyalist politics and culture of
Northern Ireland. It hints at the American support for Loyalist politics and
provides a snapshot of Ulster-American life through correspondence and ephemera. The
ephemera are particularly rich and varied, ranging from photographs of Loyalist
murals in Belfast to Loyal Orange Institution tea towels and paintings done by
imprisoned UDA members
Series I (Societies and Organizations) focuses on the
groups with which Loane was associated. These were primarily Loyalist organizations,
although there is some material from churches, both Protestant and Roman Catholic,
and a few items from Sinn Fein. The materials consist primarily of society
publications such as journals, program books, and newsletters. Some folders,
particularly those associated with the UDA, contain published essays and more varied
ephemera, including calendars and receipts.
Series II (Personal and Professional Materials) includes
Loane’s writings on wine and politics as well as his correspondence, which comprises
eleven folders. There is also a taped interview that Loane did in 1993 with a
Belfast, Northern Ireland radio station. There are, in addition, nine folders of
newspapers and news clippings that Loane collected to document important events in
Northern Ireland and two folders of photographs taken in the Philadelphia area and
in Northern Ireland. Regrettably, there is little personal information other than
Loane’s resume and some material concerning his parents.
Series III (Loyalist Artifacts) contains items collected
by Loane, most reflecting Loyalist culture and politics. There is a collection of
audio recordings as well as two paintings, a flag, and other items.
Series I
Societies and Organizations, 1981-2001
21 folders
Series II
Personal and Profesional Material,
1960-2001
31 folders, 1 audio tape
Series III
Loyalist Artifacts, 1968-1993
1 folder, 5 artifacts, 14 audio
tapes
Series 1. Societies and Organizations
1981-2001
1-2
Most of the folders in this series contain information that would have been
available to the general public or to any member of the organization, e.g.,
society publications, notices, and pamphlets. Even for organizations with
which Loane seemed to be deeply involved, there is scant information
concerning the organization’s structure or operations, and nothing that
details Loane’s role within it. For the UDA, however, there are interesting
ephemera, including receipts from visits to UDA prisoners, UDA calendars,
and Christmas cards. There is also a published copy of, This is It, a play co-authored by Andy Tyrie, who
was, from 1973 to 1988, the Supreme Commander of the UDA.
Loane was an active member of many societies for people of Ulster descent,
such as the Loyal Orange Institution, the Somme Association, and the
Scotch-Irish Society of the United States. After his conversion to Roman
Catholicism, he became involved in societies such as the Ancient Order of
Hibernians. Loane’s interest in religion led him to attended many churches
in the United States and Northern Ireland, and he saved programs from the
services and parish newsletters.
Series 2. Personal and Profesional Material
1960-2001
2-4
The Personal and Professional Material series
contains correspondence, published articles, photographs, newspapers and
clippings. Newspapers are housed in an oversize box.
The correspondence, consisting of letters written to Loane and photocopies of
letters by him, is the heart of the series and centers on Loane’s
involvement in Ulster culture and politics. Most of the correspondents were
living in Northern Ireland, and the letters to Loane are frequently informal
in tone and depict daily life in Ulster. There are several from Andy Tyrie,
as well as one from the Ulster Volunteer Force head, Gusty Spence. In
addition, Loane corresponded with Ian Adamson, a member of the Belfast City
Council, and with several imprisoned UDA members.
Loane was, by profession, a wine and spirits expert. He wrote articles for
Philadelphia area newspapers and gave interviews to reporters from area
magazines and television stations. Copies of his articles are included as
well as clippings of articles for which he provided information.
Several notable images are included in the two folders of photographs: Loane
shaking hands with Gerry Adams, a banner with the inscription, “The Orange
Order & the Ku Klux Klan, Sharing their Heritage…,” and snapshots of
Loane with Andy Tyrie. There are also numerous depictions of Loyalist murals
in Belfast and of Loyal Orange parades in the Philadelphia area.
Most of the newspapers and clippings that Loane collected concern the
troubles in Northern Ireland and come primarily from Irish newspapers in the
Philadelphia area and from the Belfast Telegraph.
Series 3. Loyalist Artifacts
1968-1993
4-6
The Loyalist Artifacts series consists of audio
material, two paintings, and several other items. The audio material in this
series consists of Loyalist band music recorded in Northern Ireland. The
fourteen cassette tapes of music all have overtly political titles such as,
“Ulster says, ‘No’” (a Loyalist slogan) and “Quis separabit,” [Who shall
separate us?] (the motto of the UDA).
In 1993, Loane was given two paintings painted by UDA members in Long Kesh
prison in Northern Ireland. Both have Loyalist themes. A reproduction of
one, painted by John Somerville on linen, is housed in Box 4 with the
newspapers. The other, done in acrylics by Norman McClelland, is in Box 5
with other artifacts.
Irish American--Ethnic identity
Irish Americans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Societies,
etc.
Irish Americans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Political
activity
Irish Americans--Politics and government--20th
century
Irish American Protestants
Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs
Political prisoners--Northern
Ireland--Correspondence
Scots-Irish--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Wine writers--20th century
Loane, W. Paul
McClelland, Norman [Ulster Defense Association
member]
Somerville, John
Tyrie, Andy
Friends of the Somme
Loyal Orange Institution
Ulster Defense Association
Ulster Democratic Party
Processed by: Barbara H. Ryan
Processing Completed: July 2007
The collection is open for research.
Gift of W. Paul Loane, 1991-2001.
Accession numbers: 1991-001, 1994-022, 1995-005, 1995-053, 1996-049, 1997-015,
1998-030, 2000-021, 2001-036, 2001-039
Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], W. Paul Loane Papers (Collection
3092), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 65 records, 1822-1984 (MSS 113)
Dennis Clark papers, 1888-1982 (MSS 037, 177)
Irish Edition records, 1916-1991 (3049)
Robin O’Brien Hiteshew Collection (3059)
Scotch Irish Foundation Library and Archive Collection (3093)
Loyal Orange Institution. Washington Loyal Orange Lodge No. 43 Philadelphia, Pa. records, 1855-1986 (MSS 060)
Bruce, Steve. The Red Hand. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1992.
CAIN Web Service. Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland (1968 to the Present), http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/ (accessed 19 June 2007).
Dixon, Paul. Northern Ireland: The Politics of War and Peace, (http://www.nipolitics.com/ (accessed 19 June 2007).
Somme Heritage Centre, http://www.irishsoldier.org/ (accessed 19 June 2007).
Series 1: Societies and Organizations
Farset1988
1
1
Loyal Orange Lodge1985-1995
1
2
New Ulster Political Research
Group1993
1
3
Other Organizations1995
1
4
Religious Organizations1984-1994
1
5-6
Royal British Legion1992-1993
1
7
Royal Irish Rangers1992
1
8
Scotch-Irish Society of the
U.S.1981-1993
1
9
Scotch-Irish Society Virginia
Trip1984-1992
1
10
Shankill Activity Center1991
1
11
Sinn Fein2001
1
12
Somme Association1991
1
13
Ulster Cultural Center1991
1
14
Ulster Defense
Association1983-1993
1
15
Ulster Defense Association
Publications1983-1992
2
1
Ulster Democratic Party1994-1995
2
2
Ulster Democratic Unionist
Party1985-1990
2
3
Ulster Heritage1977-1992
2
4
Ulster-Scots Language
Society1993-1995
2
5
Unionist Joint Working Party1987
2
6
Series 2: Personal and professional material
Book of Ballads1983
2
7
Business cardsundated
2
8
Correspondence1981-May 1995
2
9-16
CorrespondenceJune
1995-2001,undated
3
1-3
Family material1960-1973
3
4
Audio cassette tape and CD: Interview for
CoolFM1993
6
Memorabilia1984-1989
3
5
Newspaper, Belfast
Telegraph1992-1993
4
2-3
Newspaper, Irish
Voice1993-1994
4
4
Newspaper, New Protestant
Telegraph1989
4
5
Newspaper, Orthodox
Observer1991
4
6
Newspaper, The
Trinitarian1991
4
7
Newspaper clippings1981-1998,
undated
3
6-9
Newspaper clippings on
wine1978-1988
3
10
Photographs1985-2000
3
11-12
Writings on Ulster1981-1990
3
14
Writings on wine and
spirits1983-1989
3
15
Series 3: Loyalist artifacts
Tea towel1990
5
Painting by N. McClelland1993
5
Print of painting by J.
Somerville1993
4
1
Pen1995
5
UDA Fabric Patchundated
5
Flagundated
5
Audio cassette tape: “Onward to the Field,” Albertbridge
Accordion Band1968
6
Audio cassette tape: “Loyalist Prisoners Aid/Ulster Defense
Association,” various artists1976
6
Audio cassette tape: “Twelfth Party Sing-a-long,” District
Singers1983
6
Audio cassette tape: “Ulster Says, ‘No,’” various
artists1986
6
Audio cassette tape: “Blood and Thunder,” Pride of the Village
Flute Bandundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “Netherton Road Flute Band,”
Netherton Road Flute Bandundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “No Surrender,” various
artistsundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “Quis separabit,” various
artistsundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “Thunder and Lightning,” Cloughfern Flute
Bandundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “True Brits,” The
Derryundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “Ulster Glory,” Young Calvay Volunteer Flute
Bandundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “Ulster, My Home,” Scott Rowland and various
flute and accordion bandsundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “Ulster on the March—For God and Ulster,”
various artistsundated
6
Audio cassette tape: “York Road Girls,” York Road Girls Accordion
Bandundated
6