David Adams

David Adams (born c. 1953) is a Northern Irish loyalist activist and former politician. He was instrumental in bringing about the loyalist ceasefire of 1994 and played a leading role in the early stages of the Northern Ireland peace process. Emergence in politics A native of Lisburn, Adams was a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) although he did not hold any position of importance within the movement and was never imprisoned. From early on, Adams was much more involved in the political side of loyalism rather than the paramilitary side. Unlike many of his contemporaries in the UDA, Adams was grammar school educated and gained a reputation as an articulate speaker. Adams, who lived near the Maze Prison and served as a community worker in the area, joined the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) after being encouraged to do so by Ray Smallwoods. Towards ceasefire Adams was, along with Gary McMichael, involved in negotiations between the UDP and the UDA during the early 1990s in which the possibility of a move towards a peace settlement was discussed. The main figure in these talks however was Ray Smallwoods. Adams became a representative to the Combined Loyalist Political Alliance, a semi-clandestine group established around sometime in late 1992 to early 1993 and made up of leading members of the UDP and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), when this initiative was established. This group was central to delivering the loyalist ceasefires. Adams was close to Ray Smallwoods personally and described himself as "really devastated" following Smallwoods' killing by the Provisional IRA in July 1994. He identified Smallwoods as his mentor in heping to bring him to politics. Nonetheless Adams continued to work towards delivering a ceasefire and was described by Henry McDonald and Jim Cusack as "one of the moderate voices advising the UDA, even in the darkest days".