Orange Leaders meet

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Saturday February 20, 2010 14:20

by Peter Mulholland - none

Grand Master orders dissolution of Orange Order.

After finally being forced to accept that Orange parades have kept up ‘an exclusive society in civil and military life, exciting one portion of the people against the other... [leading to] breaches of the peace and bloodshed’ the Grand Master of the Orange Order in Ireland met with ‘several influential members’ to arrange for the immediate dissolution of that sectarian organization.

The meeting took place in response to the findings of a Parliamentary Select Committee investigation into decades of violent parades and demonstrations of paramilitary strength.

When the Select Committee’s report was published a Cabinet council was held at the Foreign Office for the purpose of agreeing the terms of the resolutions which were to be submitted to the House of Commons by Lord John Russell, Secretary of State for the Home Department, on the 23rd of Feb. 1836. That resolution stated:

That it is the opinion of this house that the existence of any political society in Ireland
consisting exclusively of persons preferring one religious faith, using secret signs and
symbols, and acting by means of affiliated branches, tend to injure the peace of society - to
derogate from the authority of the Crown, to weaken the supremacy of the law, and to impair
the religious freedom of his majesty's subjects in that part of the United Kingdom. That an
humble address be presented to his majesty, laying before him the foregoing resolution, and
praying that his majesty will take such steps for the discouragement of all such societies as
may seem to his majesty most desirable.

Lord Russell read the King's reply in the House of Commons on Thursday 25th of Feb. 1836:

William Rex - I willing assert to the prayer of my faithful Commons, that I will be pleased to
take such measures as shall seem advisable for the effectual discouragement of Orange
Lodges, and generally of all political societies excluding persons of a different religious
persuasion using signs and symbols, and acting by means of associated lodges. It is my
firm intention to discourage all such societies, and I rely with confidence upon the fidelity of
my loyal subjects to support me in my determination.

The following day in the Commons, Lord Russell read the response of the Grand Master of the Orange Order, the Duke of Cumberland. The Grand Master said he had:

already taken steps, with several influential members, to recommend their immediate
dissolution. In conformity with the wish expressed by his majesty, I shall take all legal steps
to dissolve Orange Lodges.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland met in Dublin on April 13th 1836 and voted in favour of the dissolution of the Orange Order.

However, despite the 'Loyal Orders'' frequent protestations of fidelity to the Crown, subsequent events suggest that loyalty was not what motivated Orangmen in Portadown - where the violent sectarian organization was founded after a 'Chruch parade' to Drumcree in July 1795.
See: http://orangecitadel.blogspot.com/

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Comments (9 of 9)

well done

by fair play

Wed Mar 31, 2010 18:43

good work orangecitadel reminding people about this and highlighting it. Bein from the 26 Countys it use to bother me hearing people sayin 'ah the two 'sides' are as bad as each other up 'there'' type of mindset. This knuckle dragging, undemocratic, sectarian , supremicist organisation should disband. Why should they be able to equate this as part of their culture- walkin round places like laurel and hardy where they r not wanted for a few hundred years. How can things like this drain funds for gaelic games, music ,arts etc. its absolutely mental and keep highlighting it. At the least they are deluded religious zealots at the worst stirrers of tension , division, bigotry nd provacation. i still think though some year all non 'Orange' folk should ask to join their 'cultural' parade and take the pure micky

Well Said Fair Play.

by Orangeman

Wed Mar 31, 2010 20:44

Well said "Fair Fair" when you said:

"This knuckle dragging, undemocratic, sectarian , supremicist organisation should disband."

It's time for the Roman Catholic Church to GO.

(You'd swear they were in personal touch with the almighty sometimes.)

Balance

by Rory

Wed Mar 31, 2010 21:27

"How can things like this drain funds for gaelic games, music ,arts etc"
Right on! take the money away from one side and give it all to the other.
How dare they have their culture, especially when it could be done away with in order to help fund ours.
Just the kind of fair, unbiased, well thought out and balanced solution we need.
Well done.Give that man a biscuit.

Birds of a Feather.

by Behavioural Anthropoligist.

Wed Mar 31, 2010 22:05

Intersting how it was the British House of Commons in London who saw the Orange Order as a sectarian bunch of troublemakers and tried to disband them.

So much for British Imperialism

Yet the Provos spent a quarter of a century blaming, and bombing, London.

The flag of Irish republicanism has Orange on it as well as Green.

Presumably the Orange on the Irish flag represents Orange-ism.

"Birds of a Feather".

No Orange or Green on the Union Jack!
.

scuuze me

Thu Apr 01, 2010 20:54

rory ya completely missed my point and are the type of person i was talking about. Its NOT a two sides thing. ORANGISM is not a culture- sport, music and the arts ARE. I am not a catholic
And yes I agree with the other poster highlighting the catholic church hierarchy as bein that too.

And my other friend who is giving anthropology a bad name. Yes Orange was a colour associated William whose forces in history incorrectly was seen to stand for Protestanism, it was not for the ORANGE ORDER

divide and rule

by francis hughes

Thu Apr 01, 2010 21:02

Hey behavioural Anthroplogist, yes its good u highlight the fact that imperial masters in england play their 'subjects' like pawns. They have and probably will play the orange card when it suits their agenda. They will arm, inform, protect unionist killers one week and the next week will denounce them as gun men and extremists. thats the messy world of colonialism and imperialism but im sure u studied all that BEHAVIOR in one of your lectures

Ban em all

by Red Jed

Fri Apr 02, 2010 20:11

They should just ban all parades, be they OO, AOH, Republican comemorations or anything else with the possability to upset, offend or make people feel threatened in any way.
Instead of looking to the past we should be looking to the future.

Wow.

by Orangeman.

Fri Apr 02, 2010 21:18

So the Orange on the flag of the Irish Republic symbolises William of Orange ?

Wow !

Fair play to you, Fair Play, for pointing that out.

We Orangemen were never taught THAT here in Belfast !
.

Setting Jed Straight

by Jamie S

Mon Apr 05, 2010 13:55

Red Jed AOH parades are not secterian, unlike orange order parades which are designed to intimidate Catholics. Republican parades are not secterian they are about celebrating the sacrifice made by Republicans to deliver their people from British Imperalism and about helping us to remember the past. There are a few AOH and Republican parades a year. There are thousands of Orange parades many of them through areas where Catholics live. The orange order is a closed door to most Catholics. The Republican movement is open to all no matter what their religion or colour. So I agree with you that orange parades should be banned at least.

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Orange Leaders meet

Comments (9 of 9)