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SUPPORT
FOR ARMED SERVICES PARADE The County Grand Orange Lodge of Belfast welcomes our Armed Services to the homecoming parade in the capital city of Northern Ireland on Sunday 2nd November. We
salute all members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force and
delight in this opportunity to show our support and solidarity with
them. We
encourage all to support the parade, as we show our appreciation for
the heroes who have served and are still serving around the world
fighting terrorism. We
would ask all attending the parade to ignore those who have disdain
for all things British and indeed tried to murder the colleagues of
those on parade. Please
continue to pray for the families bereaved and the service personnel
who were injured. ORANGE
ORDER LOBBY IN WESTMINSTER Senior
members of the Orange Order from all over the United Kingdom are in
Westminster today, Wednesday, October 29, to lobby against any
possible changes to the Act of Union. The
delegation consists of Robert Saulters, Grand Master of the Grand
Orange Lodge of Ireland; Drew Nelson, Grand Secretary of the Grand
Orange Lodge of Ireland; Ronald Bather, Grand Master of the Grand
Orange Lodge of England; Mike Phelan, Past Grand Secretary of the
Grand Orange Lodge of England; Ian Wilson, Grand Master of the Grand
Orange Lodge of Scotland and Robert McLean, Grand Secretary of the
Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland. The
Orangemen will meet MPs and Peers this afternoon at a series of
meeting to outline their concerns about any possible change to the
Act of Union. Grand
Secretary Drew Nelson said the Act of Union was one of the
foundation stones of the Constitution of the United Kingdom. "If
you tamper with the foundation stone of any structure there is a
very real danger that it could come tumbling down," he
said. "We believe that the people in Scotland who are calling for independence are misguided. The Union of the people from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is in the best interests of all the citizens in the United Kingdom.” 29th October 2008 ORANGE
ORDER OPPOSED TO EXTENSION OF ABORTION ACT This
Grand Lodge views with deep concern the proposed extension of the
1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. As
an Institution we believe in civil and religious liberty and the
entitlement of all to basic human rights. The most basic human right
is the right to life itself. Article 2 of the European
Convention on Human Rights begins with the phrase, "Everyone’s
right to life shall be protected by law." Abortion denies
this right to vulnerable infants and so contravenes the European
Convention. The
official figures alone show that around 550 babies per day are being
aborted which we believe to be totally unacceptable, as the vast
majority of these abortions are being carried out for reasons other
than medical. While
respecting the rights of mothers the Grand Lodge of Ireland believes
that a child is a separate and unique person from the moment of
conception and so should have the same rights as other individuals.
As a Christian organisation we believe that the Bible teaches that
the unborn child is a human being with inalienable rights to full
personhood. We therefore strongly urge all right thinking
people to voice their opposition to the extension of this abhorrent
Act to Northern Ireland. We
wish to express the support for the Members of Parliament from
Northern Ireland for their stand against any change to the status
quo, and call on all our members to support such a stand in their
prayers. 17th October 2008 DIRECTOR OF SERVICE SPEAKS IN GRANGEMOUNT Speech
by Dr. David Hume MBE, Director of Services of the Grand Orange
Lodge of Ireland, at the County Grand Lodge of the East
commemoration at Grangemouth, Saturday, June 28, 2008. I
am delighted to be with you today and to bring the fraternal
greetings of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, and also the
greetings of my own private lodge, Magheramorne LOL 291 in Larne
District of County Antrim. I thank you for the invitation to attend
this great gathering at Grangemouth today. The
victory at the Boyne resulted in the development of constitutional
democracy in the United Kingdom. And beyond. Michael Barone, one of
the predominant political historians in the USA says in his book
“Our First Revolution”, which has William of Orange crossing the
Boyne on the cover; “The
ideals of freedom and individual rights that inspired America’s
Founding Fathers did not spring from a vacuum. Along with many other
defining principles of our national character, they can be traced
directly back to one of the most pivotal events in British history
– the late seventeenth-century uprising known as the Glorious
Revolution.” Today
we have as good cause to celebrate the foundations of our modern
democracy as Americans have to celebrate Independence Day. So
I am delighted to be here with you to celebrate our shared Orange
heritage, traditions and culture. I have admired your banners today
as they have passed. The banners tell our story. We raise our
standards in a changing world. And we know their message has not
changed. The story of the Reformers, William and the Boyne, the
Covenanters, all of these are part of our shared heritage. As
an Ulster Scot I also am delighted to be here. Ulster and Scotland
have a shared heritage which includes the Orange tradition and the
Institution. Next year the Homecoming Scotland 2009 project aims to
draw back here all those with links to this part of the world. As an
Ulster Scot whose roots lie in the Borders I always feel at home in
Scotland. I also share the views of your First Minister, expressed
in a recent letter to an MLA in East Antrim, that; “The
people of Scotland and Northern Ireland have much in common and our
shared heritage is something which we can be justifiably proud of,
both at home and abroad. It has been a priority for my Government,
during its first year in office, to mark and develop those links.”
Your
First Minister will know how ancient those links really are. In the
6th century AD the King of Antrim Dalriada, Fergus, went to Dunadd
to be crowned king of Antrim and Scottish Dalriada. He did not
invade. He did not need to. His people had settled on both sides of
the North Channel. In fact they gave their name – the Scots of
Dalriada – to Scotland. Fergus took with him the Lia Fail or Stone
of Destiny, on which to be crowned, and legend has it that this is
the stone that was returned to Scotland from Westminster Abbey some
years ago now. I remember watching on the television its emotive
progress back across the Tweed. But
lest Mr. Salmond get too carried away with thoughts of Scottish
Independence, he should be aware that the Stone of Destiny really
belongs to us in County Antrim and that if he somehow managed to
gain Scottish independence, we would want to see the Stone cross
another piece of water, wider than the banks of the Tweed. It’s
only in Scotland because we’re all part of the Union. You
see, we believe in the Union. We are, after all, the United Kingdom.
The Union is something which we cherish. In Ulster the Union has
been something that people have died defending, wearing the uniform
of Her Majesty’s forces when terrorists threatened to destroy our
society. There are gravestones in country cemeteries that pay
testament to our loss as a community. The Orange Institution in
Ireland lost over 330 members during the conflict in Ulster, the
majority serving in the police, army or other services, and the rest
civilians. So the Union to us is more than a mere concept. In
Scotland the debate over the Union will be more civilised than the
struggle we have witnessed. But people should be aware of the nature
of the debate and they should be mobilised to support the Union. The
Orange Institution in Scotland is giving a lead in this regard and
the considerable resources and talents which you possess will be
harnessed to good effect. But
it is not enough to talk of the concept of Union. There must be an
honest debate on what “The Union” actually means in the 21st
century. The benefits of the Union must be spelt out. The legacy and
heritage of the Union must be highlighted. The future of the Union
must be addressed. We
are different regions and it is right that our differences are
catered for in different ways. But there are essential bonds of
union which are unchanged and which make us all stronger. They must
be maintained. Scotland belongs in the Union, Northern Ireland
belongs alongside her. In
a way the Union is a bit like the Orange Institution. We have people
of many different backgrounds and outlooks within our membership. So
too the Union is a pluralist Institution which has a place for
everyone who wants to subscribe to its values. What
we do need in civic society is more pride in the Union. Our young
people need to know more about their history and about the figures
who helped weave the fabric of the Union. There is a need for
education. We in Belfast will shortly launch a major exhibition on
famous Orangemen, as part of a wider educational process. It is
called Heroes from History. We need heroes in our lives. We have a
new Superhero, Diamond Dan the Orangeman, in the Institution. But
there are others with a closer link to reality. Dr. Thomas Barnardo
was born in Dublin in 1905 and wanted to be a medical missionary in
China. But in London the course of his life was changed when he
witnessed the squalor and plight of thousands of homeless children.
Children without homes and without hope. You all know about the work
of the charity he founded. Dr. Barnardo was a Superhero. Dr.
Barnardo was an Orangeman. So too was Sir John A. Macdonald, who was
born in George Street in Glasgow in 1815 and went on to lay the
foundations for the Dominion of Canada. He was a man who struggled
against personal tragedy, yet continued to look after affairs of
state and his disabled child. Heroes
from history. Are
you a hero in your community? That is what the Christian Gospel and
the Orange Institution is calling you to be. Realise your potential
and lay down the foundations for the Orange Order and all that we
stand for to be relevant beyond our years. If you’re here today
and you’re not a member of the Orange Institution, speak to
somebody with a sash and think about joining us. We need you to walk
with us in these days. At
certain times in history, we come to a crossroads, to a situation
where things could have gone either way. Thomas Barnardo could have
walked away from the homeless children, carried through his ambition
to go to China. On the day before the Battle of the Boyne King
William went to view the enemy positions and was spotted. The
Jacobites fired cannon shot at him and grazed him on the shoulder.
Had the cannon been a little more accurate the Battle of the Boyne
might never have taken place, for the commander might have been
dead. Of course some say those events are fate, others believe that
the hand of providence was at work. The
Orange Institution is maybe at a crossroads today. We have a clear
mission to commemorate our past, to expound the Protestant message,
and to carry a torch for the future. Our Junior lodges and the young
people who came to watch your parade today at the side of the road,
they are our future. What legacy will we hand to them? If
Scotland left the Union, if Ulster were forced into a disunion we do
not want, if England said we cannot be bothered with the Celtic
fringe any more, then the Union would be at an end. The crossroads
provides a number of options for us. But there is one road which the
Orange Institution needs to take. We need to step forward to defend
the Union. As an organisation we do not shirk from duty. The nation
needs us, maybe more than ever. We are the largest organisation
which expounds and holds the very British values which are the
essence of the Union. We hold the Union dear. Now is the time to
defend and uphold what we value most. It
does not mean that you have to drop your Scottish identity, or I
have to lose my Ulster identity. But it does mean that governments
should do more to promote the Union. In the context of Ulster Scots,
for example, it is easier for my community group in Ballycarry to
get grants to travel across the border to spend time studying
festivals in the Republic of Ireland than it is to develop a
programme of community links with Scotland, which is closer to us
culturally and historically. We and our friends in the neighbouring
community of Cairncastle have been lobbying along with our MP and
MLAs to encourage east-west links. We get the distinct impression
that the commitment to develop these links is not as high priority
as it should be. Developing those links is a means of
copper-fastening the cultural union between our areas. Could it be
that doing so is not part of the plan of the framers of the Belfast
Agreement? We
have seen many occasions where emphasising our sense of British
identity causes some people to be embarrassed. The decision by a
government department not to have the Red Arrows take part in the
2012 Olympics opening ceremonies is just another example. In my own
District of Larne the local council, which erected red white and
blue bunting for decades to mark the Somme and Twelfth
anniversaries, has been told that it cannot do so. The Local
Government Audit Office and the so-called Equality Commission, we
believe, have an issue with red white and blue bunting. Yet those
colours are the colours of the Nation, of the Union, the very nation
that pays the salaries of such people in the first place. We have
young soldiers putting their lives on the line in Iraq and
Afghanistan wearing the uniform of our nation, and at home we have
civil servants telling us it is not politically correct to display
our national colours. There is something badly wrong. The Prime
Minister can talk about encouraging pride in Britishness, but he
needs to address the rot within. He can talk the talk, but time will
tell if he walks the walk. The
value of difference is part of the ethos of the Union. I am from the
Presbyterian community, which rebelled against the King for good
reasons in 1776 in America and 1798 in Ulster. Yet by 1912 we were
signing a Covenant against Home Rule and demanding to be part of the
Union. That was because of what the Union brought us and meant to
us. It can be the same for every distinctive region of the Kingdom.
We are a majority Protestant nation and the ethos of the Protestant
faith, which is individual thought, has extended out into the nation
as individual freedom. Civil and Religious Liberty for all. So you
can be Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim and you
can still belong to and contribute to the Union; and be valued for
belonging. That
is our essential message today. We support the Union. We want the
Union. We are, and we remain, United by the Kingdom. We are at the crossroads and we know the road we want to travel into the future. Let us continue the journey together. Let us be United for the Kingdom. 28th
June 2008 PORTADOWN
– ADAMS TALKS The
Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland has issued the following statement to
the media, who have followed up today’s story in the News Letter
that members of Portadown District L.O.L. have met the Sinn Fein
leader Gerry Adams. “We
have just become aware through the media that a meeting has taken
place between some Portadown District Officers and Gerry Adams. While
we understand the frustration that has built up among the officers
and members of Portadown District over the continued refusal of
their Drumcree parade, we do not believe that clandestine meetings
are in the best interest of the institution.” 26th June 2008 PORTADOWN
ORANGEMEN MEET DUP LEADER Orangemen
from Portadown District have met the DUP leader Peter Robinson to
discuss the Garvaghy Road parade. Local
MP David Simpson and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds were also at the
meeting. The Orange Order delegation was led by Darryl Hewitt,
District Master of Portadown. A
spokesman for the Orangemen said the meeting had been very
constructive. It was clear that the DUP leader recognised the
significant steps taken by the Orange Order in Portadown and their
willingness to meet local residents, even though this had been
thwarted. The
spokesman said the meeting looked at a number of ways to progress
the matter but it would not be helpful at this stage to go into any
further detail. 23rd June 2008 No.9
DISTRICT LODGE No.9
District Lodge views with grave concern, the Parades Commission’s
determination for its traditional Whiterock Parade next week. The
District Lodge will meet on Monday night to discuss the
determination in full. Our
initial thoughts are that this determination is manifestly unjust
and is a clear reward for the intransigence shown by the Springfield
Residents Action Group. Once
again the Parades Commission has demonstrated that it has no useful
role in defining a shared future. On the contrary, it damages
community relations.
William
Humphrey Mob: 07765 640434 20th June 2008 ORANGEMEN TO CONSTRUCT A UNITED FRONT ON THE UNION A
convention of over 600 Scottish Orangemen held in Glasgow on
Saturday 14th June pledged to face down any threat to the political
integrity of the United Kingdom. Scottish
Grand Master, Ian Wilson, told delegates that "the Union of
1707 has been good for Scotland and remains in our best interest."
He went on to say that
it was time for the Orange Order "to replace rhetoric with
action if we are truly to be worthy of our inheritance and defend
the things we believe in." Wilson
admitted to a grudging admiration for First Minister Alex Salmond
who he called 'a smart operator'. "To see him perform you'd
never guess he is First Minister of Scotland thanks to just 24% of
the electorate, or that he heads a minority administration that is
outgunned by the collective strength of the unionist parties." Wendy
Alexander received a stinging rebuke from Wilson, who said she would
have to be "a whole lot more impressive and convincing than she
has been to date if the Scottish Labour Party is ever to regain its
pre-eminence in Scottish politics." The
lodge convention was also addressed by the Grand Masters of the
Order in England and Ireland. Following the meeting, Orange leaders
held further talks on their intentions to mobilise the membership
throughout the UK to argue the case for the Union. Further
Information: Ian Wilson 07960
737289 Robert McLean 07984 451079 14th June 2008 ORANGE ORDER WANTS CLARITY ON BUNTING ROW Speaking
at the opening of Ballygargan Hall outside Portadown on Friday June
13, 2008, Drew Nelson, Grand Secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of
Ireland confirmed that the Orange Order is seeking a meeting with
the Northern Ireland Audit Office to clarify their involvement in
the decision by Larne Borough Council to cease flying traditional
bunting. "We
understand that the Local Government Auditor may have indicated to
Larne Borough Council that there were issues surrounding the colour
of the traditional bunting which they have purchased over the last
number of years. "I
have today written to the Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of
the Northern Ireland Audit Office asking for an urgent meeting to
discuss the role of Local Government Auditors in relation to the
flying of flags and bunting and the display of emblems on Council
property. This
request comes in the wake of a clear pattern during this year when
at least four different Councils in Northern Ireland have sought to
restrict the display of British emblems". Ballygargan Orange Hall is being re-opened tonight following damage caused during and arson attack on 15th October 2007. 13th June 2008 HUGE
CROWD EXPECTED FOR CARRICKFERGUS PAGEANT More
than 10,000 people are expected in Carrickfergus on Saturday June
14, for the annual pageant – one of the most colourful and eagerly
awaited dates on the summer calendar The
parade will begin at Woodburn Orange Hall at mid-day and then make
its way to the harbour, where King William (Robert Flack) will land
at about 1pm. The
re-enactment is the highlight of the day and will take place at the
same location William landed there, on the same date in 1690. King
William and his colour party will be rowed ashore and will meet
local councillors and other dignitaries. He will then make his way
to Carrickfergus Castle where he will meet up with his dragoons. He
will get on his horse at this point and lead the parade through the
town to Marine Gardens. There
will be a sword and musket display at Marine Gardens and visitors
will be able to enjoy many other attractions as well, including a
coin minter. Scottish dancers will also put on a display. The
organisers are hoping for a very successful day. "The
Carrickfergus Pageant brings huge crowds into the town for the
day," a spokesman said. "It is a wonderfully colourful event and everyone really gets into the mood. It is a marvellous sight to see the re-enactment of William’s landing at the exact spot where it took place all those years ago." 10th June 2008 LARNE
ORANGEMEN CRITICISE COUNCIL
Orangemen
in Larne have criticised the local council and accused them of
eroding Protestant culture in the town. A
spokesman for Larne District L.O.L. said the council had changed
their policy on providing red, white and blue bunting. "For
many years, the council in Larne provided bunting and put it up over
the summer months. It was very much appreciated by the people in
Larne. "In
a major change of policy the council have decided to no longer
provide red, white and blue bunting. This is a very small-minded
action by the council and we believe that they have been operating
under a misapprehension about the attitude of the local government
auditor. "We
would ask the following questions of the council: 1.
Have there been any complaints about the provision or red,
white and blue bunting? 2.
Have the Equality Commission been involved in any way in this
decision? 3.
Has the Local Government Auditor been involved in any way in
this decision? "The
Orange Order has been working with the tourist authorities for a
number of years to improve the tourism potential of the Twelfth
parades. Part of the advice which we have received is that tourists
come to see a genuine cultural event. "Larne
Council’s action undermines the traditional ethos of the Twelfth
and is in fact harmful to tourism by seeking to dilute the
authenticity of the event. "The
Twelfth demonstration will be held in Larne in 2009 and it will
bring a huge influx of people into the town and give a real boost to
the local economy. "Asking
us to give up the red, white and blue bunting would be like asking
people celebrating St. Patrick’s Day to replace green with another
colour. "This
decision by the council is shocking and outrageous to the Protestant
community and to their culture and the Orangemen of Larne District
demand the council reverse this decision immediately." GRAND
MASTER SLAMS CLOSURE OF POLICE STATIONS Speaking
at an Orange Order event in Castlederg, Co. Tyrone, on Friday, June
6, the Grand Master Robert Saulters said: "I
am delighted to be here in County Tyrone where I know that Orangeism
is strong and flourishing. Unfortunately the same cannot be said
about our police who are anything but strong and flourishing in this
county and in neighbouring Fermanagh. "The
police are reducing the number of stations in border areas and it is
the people who live in those areas, who will pay the price. Not far
from here, stations in Newtownstewart, Sion Mills and Donemana, have
either been closed or will be closed in the near future. "There
is the prospect that the whole of Fermanagh will soon be policed
from three stations. "It
is a ridiculous situation and I know many police officers who are
very unhappy. They have built up local knowledge over many years but
now that pool of intelligence will be wiped out at the stroke of a
pen. "We
live in a world where the budget is more important that the bobby on
the beat. "It
is an insult to our intelligence when the police try to say that
security will be improved by retreating into major stations. That is
simply not the case and the honest thing would be to admit that they
are trying to save money. "We
in the Orange Order know only too well that reduced security in
rural areas has made it easier for evil people to attack our halls.
There have also been cowardly attacks on police officers and it has
been a miracle that none of the officers has been murdered. "Closing
police stations is a premature move when there is still a
significant and viable threat from dissident republicans, as the
Chief Constable himself confirmed recently. "Many
members of the Orange Order live in rural areas. They feel abandoned
by the PSNI hierarchy and their policy of closing stations. "The
Orange Institution is totally committed to supporting police
officers as they go about their job. The difficulty at the moment is
actually finding a police officer.” 6th
June
2008 LAUNCH OF WILLIAMITE TRAIL Tourism Minister Nigel Dodds, and Environment Minister Arlene Foster, have welcomed the development of the new Williamite Trail map and are pictured at Parliament Buildings with the Grand Master of the Orange Order, Robert Saulters
27th May 2008 BORDER HALL ATTACKED The
Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland has condemned a weekend attack on a
hall in Newry. Altnaveigh
Orange Hall was broken into on Saturday afternoon. Windows and other
items in the hall were smashed and a memorial tablet to murdered
Orangemen was badly damaged. The
hall was temporarily secured following the attack but it was broken
into again on Saturday night and further damage was caused. The
hall is situated close to Newry by-pass and has been attacked on
numerous occasions in the past. A
spokesman for Grand Lodge described it as a sectarian attack. "The Orangemen at Altnaveigh are well known in the area for their community relations work but clearly there are people who have no respect for their work or traditions. One of the most hurtful aspects of the attack was that a memorial tablet to Orangemen murdered in the troubles was damaged. That really is a despicable action and we would call on all community representatives in the area to condemn the attack without equivocation." 25th May 2008 FUTURE FOR THE ORANGE ORDER Speech
by Dr. David Hume MBE, Director of Services of the Grand Orange
Lodge, at the unveiling of a new banner for Ballycraigy Temperance
True Blues LOL 537, 23rd May 2008 at Ballycraigy, County Antrim. The Orange Order is facing the future with confidence, Orangemen at Ballycraigy in County Antrim have been told. The
Order's Director of Services, Dr. David Hume, told members of
Ballycraigy Temperance True Blues LOL 537 and supporters that the
Orange Order was playing a constructive role within communities
across Northern Ireland. He
was speaking at the unfurling of a new banner for the lodge, which
was formed in 1887. "Today
there are 1176 lodges like this one in Ireland. There are tens of
thousands of Orangemen. The Twelfth in 2007 saw an estimated 400,000
people participate in or watch our celebrations. Despite all this
some have tried to say that we are on the decline," he said. "This
is to ignore the reality of the situation. The Orange Order is at
the heart of lobbying at all levels over issues affecting us and our
constituency, and we will continue to do so. We are working with the
tourism authorities to progress the Twelfth and our cultural
heritage as strong marketable elements for visitors,” "Our
lodges are very involved in their communities and we are encouraging
civic leadership among our members. The Orange Order, part of the
community since 1795, remains very much a part of it today,"
the Director of Services said. "We
are, in short, not a force which is spent and on the decline, but an
organisation and a positive force which is at the heart of the
Protestant community, and which will continue to be so," Dr.
Hume said. He
said that the Orange Order would go forward to the future with its
traditional values, rooted in the Protestant Reformation and the
Glorious Revolution. "There are still many people who believe
in the values of men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and
others," he said, "There are still many people who believe
in the need for a sense of identity in a changing world. And there
are still people who are proud of who and what they are." "There
will be challenges in the future in terms of membership, because
there are many other distractions for people in society today. We
are witnessing urbanisation in our society, which is resulting in
normal linkages being broken down, and we are challenged by
secularism. But the future will be what we make it, and I believe
that the future is assured," Dr. Hume told those gathered at
the ceremony. "Within
this Institution there is evidence everywhere of the commitment of
ordinary men who help sustain and develop an extraordinary
organisation." "Our Institution comprises men of honour. We raise our standards in a changing world. And we know their message has not changed. We are proud of our past, dedicated to the present and looking forward to the future," he concluded. 23rd May 2008 ORANGE
ORDER AT BALMORAL SHOW The Orange Order is stepping out at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Show at Balmoral, next week.
It
will be the first time in the history of the show that Orangemen
will be there to display the history and culture of the Institution. The
Grand Lodge of Ireland stand will include a display of banner
painting from William Magowan, of Garvagh, who was one of the major
successes when the Order attended last year’s Smithsonian Festival
in Washington. His display attracted thousands of visitors during
the festival. There
will also be Orange Order merchandise on sale, including items
involving Diamond Dan, the new Orange hero for young people. Copies
of the Williamite Trail, a tourist map unveiled by the Order last
week, will also be available. A special edition of the Orange
Standard – with an agricultural flavour – has been printed for
the show. The
Orange presence at Balmoral is the brainchild of Education Officer
David Scott. "I
think this is an excellent chance to meet the public and explain
about the Orange tradition and culture," he said. "I
am greatly encouraged by visits to schools and community groups
across Northern Ireland that there is a thirst for knowledge about
the Institution. We hope that our presence at Balmoral will give
thousands of people the chance to meet us and chat with our
representatives about the Order and its traditions." Display
panels at the stand will include one on the Williamite Trail and
another on the Institution past and present. 5th May 2008 RESPONSE TO ASHDOWN REPORT The
Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland has welcomed the Ashdown Report. "For
the past number of years we have been making the case that the
legislative framework governing parades is deeply flawed and has
created more problems than it has resolved. "We
participated fully in the review, in partnership with the Royal
Black Institution and the Independent Loyal Orange Institution. "We
welcome the fact that the recommendations include the establishment
of a new legislative framework to govern not just parades but all
public assemblies. "We
particularly welcome the fact that the recommendations signal the
end of the discredited Parades Commission. "This
is an essential first step towards a better resolution of the issues
which surround parades and other public events. "The
Orange Institution – along with the Royal Black Institution and
the Independent Loyal Orange Institution – will study the document
carefully and respond accordingly. "We remain committed to playing a full part in creating a Northern Ireland which is a peaceful, prosperous, stable and fair society, founded on mutual respect and trust." 29th April
2008 FOUR FLAGSHIP TWELFTHS SELECTED Four
Twelfth demonstrations have been selected as flagships for the
biggest festival in Northern Ireland. The
flagships will be the standard bearers for the 18 demonstrations
being organised by the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland on July 12. The
four locations are Belfast, Dromara, Tandragee and Coleraine. The
events in those areas will receive special promotional support from
the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Tourism Ireland. Grand Lodge
will also work closely with the organisers of the flagships to
promote the Twelfth. Official
estimates last year calculated that between 400,000 and 500,000
people either took part in the parades or enjoyed them as
spectators. The
Orange Order Director of Services, Dr. David Hume explained: "Two
years ago we chose Bangor as a flagship Twelfth and more than 80,000
people attended the demonstration. Last year Enniskillen was chosen
and the tourist authorities were involved in very successful 'host
training' for our stewards. "We
know that nearly half a million people enjoy the Twelfth and there
is hard evidence that more and more tourists are planning trips to
Northern Ireland at that time, to co-incide with the parades. "All
of our parades are very important and we will be working with all
the organisers to maximise the positive impact of the Twelfth
parades. But Grand Lodge decided that we should put an extra special
effort into four demonstrations this year. After an internal
competition we selected the four locations and we have no doubt that
they will be a huge success." The
Orange Order has been working closely with the Northern Ireland
Tourist Board and Tourism Ireland to attract more visitors to the
province in July. "We
cannot thank the tourist authorities enough," said David Hume. "They
have shown us their research and made very many useful suggestions
which we have taken on board. "The
Twelfth is a unique attraction in Northern Ireland and it brings
with it immense benefits to the economy and to everyone in the
community. We will be doing everything we can to make the Twelfth
attractive for all the family and for anyone – local or visiting
– who wants to see it. "The
new battlefield site at the Boyne will also be a major attraction
this year and we believe that cultural tourism can play a
significant part in the future of Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland. "The
Orange Order is certainly ready to play its part." The
Rossnowlagh parade in Co. Donegal will be held on Saturday, July 5
this year and the July 12 demonstrations will be in Belfast, Dromara,
Coleraine, Tandragee, Maghera, Kesh, Ballyclare, Omagh, Benburb,
Aughnacloy, Derriaghy, Ballymena, Broughshane, Portavogie,
Cullybackey, Kilkeel ,Newcastle and Rasharkin. Many
of the Twelfth demonstrations will form part of festivals running
for two or three weeks in their area. The
Orange Order is also set to unveil a major tourist initiative in the
next few weeks, with the publication of the Williamite Trail. It is
a map which follows the route taken by the Williamite Army on the
way to victories at the Boyne and Aughrim. 22nd
April
2008 |