He was a leading figure in the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), he had served as head of the North Antrim and Londonderry East Tyrone Brigade of the group.
[1] Following his release from prison, McFarland, who also maintained legitimate business interests in the construction industry, was appointed brigadier for the North Antrim and Londonderry area, a brigade that was only sporadically active compared to those in Belfast.
[6] In 1996, following the end of the IRA ceasefire, McFarland converted to the Ulster nationalism previously advocated by the late South Belfast brigadier John McMichael.
He called for the United Kingdom to be radically altered into a "British family of nations" in which Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England would all become fully self-governing and only loosely linked.
Acknowledging that his independent "Ulster" would face the problem of an "Irish minority" McFarland argued that those who did not accept the new arrangement would be expected to move to the Republic of Ireland.
McFarland then refused to attend a press conference that Adair had called to announce decommissioning, telling White "I'm going back to Jurassic Park".
McFarland later stated that he didn't want to go but had only agreed after the other brigadiers accepted White's argument that it was important to show unity publicly after a series of press reports about splits in the UDA.
[18] During Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 McFarland was part of a delegation of UDA brigadiers who laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in Dublin.
Disillusioned members in the North Antrim and Londonderry brigade reportedly had become dismayed with a growing criminal element within the organisation and believed the return of McFarland would stabilise the group.
Alleged activity which prompted this included extortion of drug dealers, members previously expelled for criminality returning to the UDA and the killing of a man in Ballymoney which was only intended to be a punishment beating.