Orange order set to celebrate

international | arts and media | opinion/analysis Friday July 04, 2003 20:55 by Rooster

STAYING on matters southern, the Orange brethren at Rossnowlagh really do have something to celebrate this year.

And, no, I am not referring to the rumours of an imminent breakthrough in the Drumcree situation.

Rather, the Republic published the preliminary results of its own census last week.

You will remember that our own census showed a small (but smaller than expected) rise in the Catholic proportion of the population.

In the south, though, the situation is the reverse. Roman Catholics now form less than 90% of the population and non-Roman Catholic numbers have increased by more than 50% in the last decade, compared to a 10% rise overall.

Some of the increase is due to Muslim immigration and increasing atheism but Church of Ireland numbers are up 23%, Presbyterians 34% and Methodists a whopping 50%.

The total increase for the three main Protestant denominations was 39,000 but only 27,000 were new immigrants, mainly Africans.

It seems the decades-long Protestant decline has finally been halted, either because Protestants are no longer leaving (fleeing?) or because the Catholic Church is beginning to feel the pinch.

Either way, it's cause for the Orangemen to raise a glass of juice. (orange of course)