'Abject and true remorse': loyalism and the politics of regret in Northern Ireland

This article examines the politics of apologies from loyalist armed groups. Using the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) 1994 ceasefire statement as a case study, it is based upon original survey data, semi-structured interviews with ex-combatants, victims and others as well as extensive archival research. It also draws on the academic literature on apologies, transitional justice, political violence, historical institutionalism, literary criticism and the sociology of legitimacy and identity. Its first examines the broader role of apologies in post conflict Northern Ireland before focusing on the political and historical context of the CLMC statement and its role as a palimpsest for subsequent loyalist engagement on legacy issues. It suggests that a close reading of the original statement and its afterlife reveals important apology-related themes concerning timing, presentation, leadership and truth recovery. Finally, the paper examines the vexed issues of collusion and criminality before considering the relationship between language and durability. It concludes that loyalists can still exercise further agency and leadership through apologies before exiting the political stage.