Another view of Orangism | ||||||||
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The following is an interview with a former member of the Orange Order As a member of the unionist community and a person who has, in the past, marched with the Orange Order, it strikes me that there is a considerable disparity between the 'image' of Orangeism portrayed by the world media and its reality. TV pictures of huge crowds venting their anger upon police lines, upon being refused permission to walk down a road, must indeed strike the stranger to the conflict in Northern Ireland as somewhat odd. To understand why such an apparently small issue can come to mean so much, it is necessary to see that there is an entirely different face to Orangeism, one that is rarely seen outside Northern Ireland. It is gravely misleading to present the events stirred up by contentious parades past Catholic areas as the be-all and end-all of Orangeism. The vast majority of parades organised by the Orange Order and its kindred organisations, the Royal Black Preceptory and the Apprentice Boys of Derry, are uncontentious and, rather than ending in confrontation, pass off peacefully in what amounts to a carnival atmosphere. Speaking from personal marching experiences in the past, I have never on such occasions felt my mind fill at each new drumbeat with hatred of my Catholic fellow citizens. Instead, I saw the occasions as celebrations of my culture, my heritage. I gained from the parades a tremendous sense of cultural belonging that I rarely felt to the same degree during the rest of the year. If I felt any 'negative' emotions at all, then those were entirely defensive in character: I was determined, and I felt we were all determined, to show that we would not be defeated by the armed force methods of the Irish Republican Army. If marching was meant to display anything other than cultural belonging then, for me, its significance was couched in the spirit of defiance rather than triumphalism. The face of Orangeism so little seen outside Northern Ireland, but so often seen inside it, is thus quite different to the almost predictable media-delivered images that roll round every July. How, then, does one explain this disparity? The Orange Order, like many political or religious organisations, is an umbrella group encompassing within its ranks a variety of opinions ranging from the moderate to the extreme. It is undoubtedly possible to point to a number of unsavoury incidents in which Orangemen and hangers-on have been involved, such as the insult offered to Catholic dead on a march down the Ormeau Road, Belfast, in the early 1990s. Also undeniable is the fact that some youngbloods are stirred by the passions aroused by contentious parades, and use these as an excuse to commit violent or intimidatory acts against innocent Catholics. It is, then, true to say that not all of those who take part in or support parades see them purely in a cultural or defensive light. There are unquestionably significant numbers of people who do feel hatred for Catholics, and wish in some way to demonstrate 'whose country Northern Ireland really is'. That certain members of the Orange Institution have tried to dissociate themselves from the despicable acts of so-called 'loyalist' hangers-on in support of the Orange cause is, to me at least, simply not good enough. Only outright and ongoing condemnation of, and active Orange efforts to end, anti-Catholic violence or intimidation associated with contentious marches will suffice to acquit the Order of all blame. The picture is not quite so bleak as the above might suggest, however. There are those within Orangeism who recognise the need for agreement with their Catholic neighbours, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that a growing section within the Loyal orders is willing to come to an accommodation with Catholics living along contentious routes, provided the desire for compromise is genuine on both sides. Why, one might wonder, don't the Loyal orders simply agree to call off any and all contentious parades in the interests of improved community relations? The answer is simpler than one might think. The anger stirred when Catholic residents deny passage to Orange marchers is very real, and is not confined to that section of Orangeism that harbours a hatred of its Catholic fellow citizens. With so many parades passing off peacefully amidst a carnival-like atmosphere, it is scarcely surprising that some Orangemen should ask themselves why Catholics should object to a peaceful parade, celebrating an alternative tradition to their own, that will only take several minutes at most to pass. Catholics, of course, will reply with legitimate arguments of their own, as seen elsehwere on this site - arguments that parades cause inconvenience, offence, fear, tension, sometimes violence - but this is not to negate the very genuine feeling of many Orangemen. That one set of views is legitimate is no reason to negate or dismiss the equally legitimate concerns of others. Orangeism carries with it for many Northern Irish Protestants
such cultural significance that it is futile to wish it out of
existence. While it would be wrong to deny that many Orange brethren
require a period of serious reflective contemplation and rethinking
on their future direction, it is equally wrong to condemn out of
hand an institution that is composed, for the most part, of very
ordinary, decent people who wish simply to celebrate their culture,
and show their determination to uphold it in the face of perceived
threat. Yes, indeed there is, sadly enough, some degree of truth in it. I wouldn't go as far as to say that "many" of the songs that are played by bands taking part in parades are overtly threatening, though many are indeed 'Protestant' in their lyrical content. Unfortunately, you are completely right about another one of your points: some of the bands that march with the Orange Order do carry loyalist paramilitary flags. The bands are almost entirely separate entities and not part of the OO itself. Having said that, I personally object to the OO associating with bands that carry paramilitary emblems of any kind. On the other hand, it is a sad fact that, if it didn't, it would find 'good' non-sectarian bands fairly hard come by. A good compromise solution, so far as I envisage it, would be for bands to play the same tunes (since most people don't actually know the lyrics) but drop the sectarian paramilitary trappings. One positive aspect that can be taken from all this is that in compromises that have been made with Catholic residents' groups in the past, it has generally been agreed that non-controversial tunes would be played by the bands on contentious marches, and that no paramilitary flags would be carried. Looking from it from a (possible) Irish Catholic point of view, the Ulster Scots have had the upper hand in Ireland since at least the 17th century... Okay, that's a fair summary, inasumch as anybody can summarise a few centuries in a sentence! Considering the history of Protestant/Ulser Scot ascendancy, when you as a Unionist talk about defiance, doesn't your defiance inherently include defiance against changing a system that has involved economic and policing inequalities? Not necessarily. Changing the system doesn't mean breaking the Union. When I marched, I didn't know anything about socio-economic disparities between Catholics and Protestants; my defiance was directed purely against what I saw as an "enemy" trying to undermine my right to celebrate my culture -- indeed (as I saw it) my right to exist in my own country. Call it paranoia if you like, but that was my genuine perception. That enemy was not the ordinary Catholic, but the armed Republican. There are many within the OO who I think hold similar beliefs to that. My beliefs have changed since those times when I used to parade, but I can understand why some people still hold ideas that I once held. Also, now that legislative action is ongoing against Catholic disadvantage, there is less cause to believe that defence of Unionism necessarily amounts to defence of discriminatory practices. Some Unionists will deny the existence of discrimination; others will agree that it did exist, but does not any longer. I on the other hand will go further: I will admit that, even now, a certain degree of discrimination still persists -- however, I believe that it is gradually being eliminated. I believe there is nothing inconsistent in supporting Unionism and opposing discrimination. Personally, I believe in a Northern Ireland where all, Catholic and Protestant, enjoy equality of citizenship and opportunity -- so I'm a firm supporter of the current peace process. Unfortunately, I have to say that there has not been enough of an effort made by Unionists to stress their opposition to any and all inequality. I hope that that has begun to change, but only time will tell. As I say, I'm on the liberal end of the unionist spectrum, and very opposed to those Orange Order members who simply shout "no surrender" and expect everyone to agree with their world view. Luckily, it seems that there are now some within the Order who realise that changing times demand changing solutions. Do you believe that the Irish Republican Army or any of the Republican movement wants to put an end to the tradition that the Orange Order, at it's best as you said, is representing the Ulster Scot tradition, or do they want to end the long standing issue of inequality? Hmmm...I'm not the best person to ask for an objective look at the IRA,even though I've come to understand republican views better in recent years. I believe that some IRA members would be quite happy to see the demise of the OO, since they see it as something akin to the KKK. They probably don't realise that it has a 'best' side. Also, while they may pay some lip-service to the Ulster-Scots tradition, I haven't seen Republicans doing anything serious to reach out to it. Of course, it would be wrong of me to say that many republicans do not wish to see genuine equality...but it is, in my view, an equality defined by their particular agenda, an agenda that has so far failed to understand the fears of the Unionist people. How the IRA hoped to secure a harmonious, united Ireland through bombings and shootings I don't know. It simply made Unionists even less willing to change, made them associate reform with surrender. Not that I am claiming that Unionism sufficiently understands Republican concerns either -- it does not. Unionists should have been able to address Catholic grievances without believing they were bowing to the IRA. After all, only a minority of Catholics supported violence. In the end, the fact is that no "side" is blameless, whatever the previous history of the Irish people. In the last 30 years, everybody has committed terrible deeds. That's why I make the point that Catholic residents have legitimate concerns regarding Orange parades. It's very hard to condemn one side without saying something equally uncomplimentary about the other. Gone are the days when I could simply shout a slogan and be satisfied with it. Regarding your statement about compromise, I know that some members of the Catholic community consider that, considering the past (and maybe present) social climate of Ireland, especially Ulster and the position held by the Ulster Scots, that what you see as compromise they see as yet another humiliation. In other words, what you would see as a compromise, they might see as yet another demand to 'give in to the old boss'. That is undoubtedly the case; however, Catholics, in demanding equality for all, must realise that even (as they see it) their old 'boss' must be accorded the same rights as they are. Many of the routes for Orange marches that Catholics now object to are indeed traditional routes, along which the topography has changed. Areas which were once solidly Protestant in composition are now Catholic. OO members don't see any reason to change their routes in that light, but Catholics feel that they must. The solution, in the end, is a compromise that involves a limited march, without the playing of any sectarian songs or the brandishing of any sectarian flags. Something is needed that will respect Catholic rights without dismissing Orange culture. That is why I believe Orangemen *must* negotiate with Catholic residents, although without, though those residents must not demand that all parades through the area cease. Their disagreement with Orange traditions is not sufficient reason to stop those traditions. Do you consider yourself 'Irish'? Most definitely, although I am also British. There's no incompatibility between the two. Nobody will take my Irishness away from me, and even if it is different in character from the Irishness of some others (i.e. Gaelic or whatever), it is still as legitimate as other conceptions of what it means to be Irish. The Reform Movement has been unable to locate the individual retaining copyright for the following publication. If anyone has any information regarding copyright for this publication, please contact the Website Administrator
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