Edward Carson has featured in the news recently after a mural of masked UVF gunmen at the junction of Dee Street and the Newtownards Road in east Belfast was replaced by a large portrait of the former unionist leader, as well as a photograph of him being escorted by Ulster Volunteers on that same road.

To this day, Carson remains an enigmatic and complex figure, partly explained by his contradictory remarks on issues such as partition.

He was also widely known for his bellicose and inflammatory language, with remarks made on July 12 1920 standing out in particular for their venom, and proving a catalyst for intense sectarian violence that engulfed the city of Belfast in waves for two years.

As this year’s July 12 events are almost upon us, it is worth noting that Orange Order leaders and unionist politicians have historically used their speeches in different Twelfth “fields” mainly to appeal to their base, often deploying provocative oratory against their enemies (real and imagined).

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There was much tension in the air in July 1920, as violence in the south and west of Ireland was beginning to encroach north and unionism had accepted the partition of not just Ireland but of Ulster, abandoning unionists in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan.

As Ulster Unionist leader, Edward Carson used his Twelfth speech to 25,000........

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