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The Ulster Covenant was signed by 1912, 237,368
men and the Declaration signed by 234,046 women.on and before
September 28, 1912, in protest against the third Home Rule
bill introduced by the British government in that same year.
 Sir
Edward Carson was the first person to sign the Covenant at
the Belfast City Hall with a silver pen followed by Lord Londonderry,
representatives of the Protestant Churches, and then by Sir
James Craig. The signers were all unionists, who were against
the establishment of a Home Rule parliament in Dublin. Some
even signed in their own blood to show their dedication to
the cause.
The signers were Ulster loyalists, who were against the establishment
of an Irish parliament in Dublin. The Covenant had two basic
parts: the Covenant itself, which was signed by men, and the
Declaration, which was signed by women.
The Covenant (for men)
BEING CONVINCED in our consciences that Home Rule would be
disastrous to the material well-being of Ulster as well as
of the whole of Ireland, subversive of our civil and religious
freedom, destructive of our citizenship, and perilous to the
unity of the Empire, we, whose names are underwritten, men
of Ulster, loyal subjects of His Gracious Majesty King George
V, humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress
and trial confidently trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves
in solemn Covenant, throughout this our time of threatened
calamity, to stand by one another in defending, for ourselves
and our children, our cherished position of equal citizenship
in the United Kingdom, and in using all means which may be
found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up
a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in the event of such
a Parliament being forced upon us, we further solemnly and
mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognize its authority.
In sure confidence that God will defend the right, we hereto
subscribe our names.
And further, we individually declare that we have not already
signed this Covenant.
The Declaration (for women)
We, whose names are underwritten, women of Ulster, and loyal
subjects of our gracious King, being firmly persuaded that
Home Rule would be disastrous to our Country, desire to associate
ourselves with the men of Ulster in their uncompromising opposition
to the Home Rule Bill now before Parliament, whereby it is
proposed to drive Ulster out of her cherished place in the
constitution of the United Kingdom, and to place her under
the domination and control of a Parliament in Ireland.
Praying that from this calamity God will save Ireland, we
hereto subscribe our names.
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