In the early 18th century, the Irish culture had been well put under Englands heel. Having laws made fully against all things Irish, England made strict punishments against those who disobeyed. Any priests who tried to teach Gaelic had the laws put on their faces through firebrands. However, this oppression had an added bonus, since Catholics had been without land for so long, they were willing to take any land at any tax rate (so the landlords could charge as much as they wished). This made the Anglicans get kicked out of their land to make way for the more 'cost-efficient' Catholics. In response, the Anglicans created a group called the 'Peep o' Day Boys', which would terrorize the Catholic farmers. These Catholics in turn created a group called the defenders. They fought for many years, climaxing in 1795 at the Diamond in Co. Armagh, on September 21. The Peep o' Day Boys were victorious and, afterwards, they celebrated at a lodge by joining hands and making an oath: "the Protestants formed a circle, joined hands and declared their brotherhood in Loyalty to the Crown, the Country and the Reformed Religion." They called themselves Orangemen after their hero, William of Orange, and celebrated their first 12th of July march in 1976 in the Portadown area, in honor of Willies victory at the battle of the Boyne. They celebrate for the days before the '12th night'. Originally, the Orange Lodge was purely Anglican, considering others to be non-loyal. In 1800, England passed the Act of Union, dissolving any independence that Ireland had. The Orange Lodge, opposing this, due to it's threat of dissolving their unique British heritage and Protestant ascendancy, made a new rule to not discuss it at meetings. England, trying to making sure that there would not be another rising, worked hard on splitting the different denominations. In 1805, England allowed Pesbyterians to be considered loyal and get a bonus of 75 pounds of sterling if they demonstrated loyalty publicly. England was able to successfully brainwash the protestants into thinking the 1798 rising was a sectarian war, despite it's leaders being almost exclusively protestant. The Orange lodge was unable to really affect any major change, but it made small farmers and nobles feel that they all had a great responsibility to uphold the reformed religion. England, losing interest in the Orangemen, banned their marches in the Party Processions Act. After riots, the act was repealed. During the famine the 1850's, Catholics were emigrating to the main cities in hordes, trying to get jobs. This influx, led to a massive increase in membership in the Orang Lodge due to working class and nobles, alike, trying to protect tehir interests. The mix of classes threateaned to destroy the Orange Order due it's old ideas of class antagonism. But, the lodge adapted into a purely anti-Nationalist, anti-home rule idea with the forming of it's political party, the Ulster Unionist Party in 1905. The Ulster Volunteer Force, armed ally of the UUP, drew it's volunteers heavily from the Orange Lodge. In April 1934 Lord Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, said: "I have always said that I am an Orangeman first and a politician and member of this Parliament afterwards...All I boast is that we have a Protestant parliament and a Protestant state". In 1951 the Public Order Act required groups to give 48-hour notification for all non-Orange parades, and the government of Northern Ireland could ban or reroute such parades at will. Furthermore, the Flags and Emblems Act made it illegal to interfere with the display of the Union Jack but all other flags, such as the Tricolor, could be removed. In the 1960's, the Orange Lodge solidified it's control, by it's Prime Minister, Sir Basil Brooke, 'suggesting' that noone hire Catholics because 'they' might take over. The Stormont Parliament was exclusively Protestant, and all members were expected to be Orangemen. The Orange Lodge were experts at gerrymandering. They registered votersan chose who to run, since all elected officials were Orangemen. As an example of how successful the political manipulations worked, in 1961 the population of Derry was 53,744, with 36,049 identifying themselves as Catholic and 17,694 as Protestant. But the city was divided into gerrymandered districts so two of the three wards were set up to have a Protestant majority, and the city was ultimately run by Unionists and members of the Orange Order. In fact, although some unionists had suggested that Catholics might be allowed into the Unionist Party and maybe even run for seats in Parliament, Sir George Clark, the Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, said "under no circumstances would such a suggestion be countenanced by our institution". On August 12, 1969, the Apprentice Boys (A section of the Orange Lodge) marched in Derry. This march occurred every year to proclaim Loyalist dominance over the Catholics of Derry, filled with reminders of the Siege of Derry, the Battle of the Diamond and King William of Orange. As part of the tradition, the Apprentice Boys traditionally throw pennies from the city walls down to the nationalist Bogside neighborhood below. Many members of the Orange Order cling to the need to protect their 'Protestant Ulster', and hold without compromise to their slogans of "No Surrender". This is most evident during marching season every year. Between Easter and the end of August almost 3,000 parades take place, 90% of which are Orange marches. As part of their Orange heritage all Unionists turn out to march in these parades in all the towns and cities in Northern Ireland, regardless of the wishes of a small number of communities who do not wish for the marches to pass through their neighborhoods. Part of the reason to march is a celebration of the unionists' unique culture, but there is another reason: to flaunt the symbols of Orange domination. Many parade routes intentionally take marchers directly through nationalist neighborhoods, where the residents have openly complained that the marchers are not welcome. Inevitably then the marches turn violent as the loud drums, sashes and bowler hats enter unfriendly territory. The Orange Order says about the parades, "The way to improve community relations cannot be achieved through a repression of a legitimate expression of culture" (Grand Lodge of Ireland website, 1997). Qualifications [from the Order's handbook]: "An Orangeman should... strenuously oppose the fatal errors and doctrines of the Church of Rome, and scrupulously avoid countenancing any act or ceremony of Popish Worship; he should by all lawful means, resist the ascendancy of that Church, it encroachments and the extension of its power...", Expulsion: "Any member dishonoring the Institution by marrying a Roman Catholic shall be expelled; and every Member shall use his best endeavors to prevent and discountenance the marriage of Protestants with Roman Catholics...", I was born at ................... in the county of ......................of Protestant parents, was educated in the Protestant faith, and have never been in any way connected with the Church of Rome. My wife is a Protestant/I am unmarried. In 1995 , after a stand-off at Drumcree in Portadown, police and Catholic residents eventually allow a few Protestant marchers through Nationalist areas. Some Orange orders mint medals to commemorate the 'victory'. In 1996, the Orange men beat a poor cab driver to death in anger over not being allowed to march through nationalist areas. Their songs have always been used to spread fear and hate, talking about Croppies (derogatory name for nationalists and Catholics), and other things.
They claim not to hate, but so do the Ku Klux Klan. The Grand Lodge of Ireland is made up of 250 representatives from the County Lodges and other elected Officers. The structure of the Grand Lodge is as follows:
Grand Master
Assistant Grand masters (2)
52 Deputy Grand Masters - 30 already present at Grand Lodge through County Office.
Nominated by Counties with a number appointed by Grand Lodge.
Grand Secretary
Past Grand Secretary
Grand Treasurer
Deputy Grand Secretary
Deputy Grand Treasurer
Executive Officer (Full-time paid official
4 Assistant Grand Secretaries
4 Assistant Grand Treasurers
Grand Lecturer
Deputy Grand Lecturer
Grand Director of Ceremonies
Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies
Inside Tyler
Librarian
Assistant Librarian
Grand Committee (60 - elected from counties)
2 Orange Standard reps
Total membership - 373 |
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