Orange Order

The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the province of Ulster, Ireland

Religion and Culture

The basis of the modern Orange Order is the promotion and propagation of "biblical Protestantism" and the principles of the Reformation. As such the Order only accepts those who confess a belief in a Protestant religion. Monthly meetings are held in Orange Halls or "Lodges." The Order has a system of "degrees" which new members advance through. These degrees can superficially be compared as Masonic-like but in reality are interactive "plays" founded solely on passages of the Bible. Parades form a large part of Orange culture. Most Orange Lodges hold an annual parade from their Orange Hall to a local church. The sect of the church is quite often rotated, depending on local demographics. The main parade of the year is the annual "Twelfth" of July celebrations which commemorate the Battle Of The Boyne and the victory of King William Of Orange after whom the Order is named. The lodges are usually accompanied by various marching bands playing flutes, fifes, accordions, bagpipes and brass instruments. This parade often involves thousands of marchers at each of the many locations and draws crowds of spectators.

Related Topics:
Protestantism - Reformation - Bible

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Orange Halls on both sides of the Irish border often function as community halls for Protestants. The halls quite often host community groups such as credit unions, local marching bands, Ulster Scots and other cultural groups as well as religious missions and political parties such as the Ulster Unionist Party.

Related Topics:
Credit union - Ulster Scots

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In 2005, controversy was generated when the organisers of Cork's St Patrick's Day parade (in the Republic of Ireland) invited representatives of the Orange Order to march in the celebrations, part of the year-long celebration of Cork's position of European Capital of Culture. The Orange Order accepted the invitation and was to parade with their wives and children alongside Chinese, Filipino and African community groups in an event designed to recognise and celebrate cultural diversity. A threatening phone call was made to a person connected to the parade?s organising committee. An anonymous male caller said: "Be careful. We know what you?re planning." Subsequently, after consultation with the Garda Síochána (the Irish police force), the Orange Order grand secretary Drew Nelson said both his organisation and the parade organisers were disappointed that the Order would not be attending the festivities. He added that he welcomed the invitation and hoped the Order would be able to participate in the event next year. A Church of Ireland clergyman, Reverend David Armstrong, spoke out against the invitation. Now based in Carrigaline, near Cork, Reverend Armstrong and his family were forced to leave their home in Limavady, County Londonderry, by loyalist paramilitaries after he spoke out against the bombing of the local Catholic church. He stated that local Orangemen told him at the time that "the bombing was God's work."

Related Topics:
Cork - St Patrick's Day - Republic of Ireland - European Capital of Culture - Chinese - Filipino - African - Garda Síochána - Police - Church of Ireland - Carrigaline - Limavady - County Londonderry - God

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In March 2002 it threatened "to take every action necessary, regardless of the consequences" to prevent the Ballymena Show being held on a Sunday. The County Antrim Agricultural Association immediately complied with the Order's wishes.

Related Topics:
Ballymena - County Antrim

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In June 2005, the Order's Grand Master Robert Saulters was cautioned by police over his involvement in an apparently illegal parade. However, the Parades Commission were forced to back down on other parades because of the threat of loyalist violence (notably the annual 1st July East Belfast "mini-twelfth" which was declared illegal, on the basis that the "11-1 forms", notice of intention to organise a public procession, were filled out incorrectly). The lodges had been filing 11-1 forms collectively to avoid legal culpability for failing to follow the Commission's guidelines, instead of naming an individual prepared to take responsibility, which the parades commission deemed to be illegal. The PSNI and British government later said there was no illegality. In his Twelfth of July speech in 2005, Saulters compared the PSNI to the Gestapo in their cautioning of him.

Related Topics:
Grand Master - Robert Saulters - Police - Parades Commission - Loyalist - British government - Twelfth - Gestapo

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In September 2005, Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde blamed the Orange Order for inciting serious rioting after an Orange parade in Belfast was banned. Television coverage of the rioting showed Orangemen throwing missiles at the police. Orde's accusation was disputed by senior Orangeman who stated that the Police were heavy handed and some responsibility lay with the Parades Commision. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4236208.stm

Related Topics:
Police Service of Northern Ireland - Chief Constable - Hugh Orde

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