Fair Deal’s Twelfth
This started as a short reply to merrie’s query about how my day went but somehow kept growing.I kissed my wife goodbye responding to her gentle chides to drop-out/get in car/rest if my legs/feet get sore with the non-commital ahah and walked down to Sandy Row Orange Hall.
For the first time in a few years the Lodge has decided to take the large banner out. Two young eager volunteers saying they would carry it the entire way. So there is much fiddling with poles, ropes, orange lillies, cable ties and banner straps.
During the mandatory standing about I catch up with two lodge members who live in Dubai but come back every year. Then the “Fat Controller” aka Chief Marshall wanders round the corner and barks out his orders to get the banners on the road and five minutes later we head off. In addition to our members we have four visiting brethren from Scotland and three children with us, two sons and one daughter of lodge members.
We fell in behind a lodge led by a Scottish band and just behind us a band from Ballymena. The band strikes up and the walk has started. First order of business, help dip the banner at the war memorial beside the community centre, then fall back in line. We head towards the city centre and then a short delay (don’t know why and after a number of parades you stop asking). Beside us there are a bunch of excited Chinese tourists so we pose for photos with them and let them wear a collarette (shush don’t tell Grand Lodge technically we’re not supposed to do that).
Then straight on through the city centre. Try to keep in step behind my WM but he has a rhythm and timing all his own so give up by the time we pass City Hall. Plenty of what look like tourists snapping away and on round to Clifton Street for the gathering of the Lodges.
We arrive round in Denmark Street and wait for the start of the parade. Our district is near the front so not too long to wait. The clouds look ominous but two of the older members start waxing lyrical about how if you can see the Belfast hills clearly it won’t rain. The hills are clear. A few minutes later the parade starts again and as soon as we progress five yards it starts to rain. Lots of looking at the hills then the two old timers, they appear oblivious.
Up round Carlisle Circus and down Clifton Centre. On one side of Clifton Street, some of the pensioners from Clifton House out to watch the parade, on the other some police landrovers with a small group of residents from Carrick Hill standing watching. I think I recognise a few faces from interface meetings but not sure, (make mental note to visit opticians).
Just as we reach Donegall Street the parade stops to allow the County Officers to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph. Fortunately the rain eases. Another member and I spot a bunch of pyjama mamas and a bunch of kids, nearly all wearing hooded pink dressing gowns, standing at the flats development at Carrick Hill. We start debating if they are out watching the parade. It’s not exactly protest attire and the kids are youngsters and seem to be pointing at the bands and getting excited. Before conclusions are reached the parade starts up again and down Donegall Street where I do my usual estimation of the size and height of the Lenin statue (more of which later) and back through the City Centre. Wave and shout hello to friends as the parade progresses. Dip the banner duty again as we pass the Cenotaph.
As my lodge reaches the Dublin Road I ring my wife to tell her I am almost there but too late she has had to get her lift to work. Three Twelfths together and she still hasn’t seen me walk in a parade, (although I used the Battle of the Boyne documentary last night to continue her education).
As we exit Shaftesbury Square the heaven’s open and at the same time the usual crisis with bringing children hits, multiple urgent needs for the toilet. Fortunately the extra portaloos provided this year come to the rescue.
Up past Tates Avenue and the parade halts for a 10 minute rest break. Our stop point is 20 yards short of were a bunch of my mates always stand. So I dander on up for a chat. This year one of the husband and wife pair’s have bought their new dog bedecked with Union flag, Boots, half husky, half collie, all mad. It makes repeated attempts to jump up and lick everyone round it to death until it finds an appreciative Glaswegian. One of the bunch is also a quasi-slugger addict we talk about the south Armagh thread and he tells me he emailed a link to a map for the South Armagh/Not South Armagh debate. Even on the Twelfth slugger is never far away.
Among the group are two fellow conspirators, are we ever going to put that sash on Lenin’s statue for a bit of crack? This idea was first suggested by one of us many years ago and has now become an annual chat topic. The planning is done yet again with all the earnestness of people who know that they actually have gained sufficient maturity that they will never do it but like to remember when they were younger and dafter.
The Lodges and bands show signs of getting ready to head off again so I say my goodbyes and back to my Lodge. No more stops straight on to the field. The rain stops completely as we reach the end of Balmoral Avenue. An old timer’s knee goes and he hops in the car. There are new instructions about what Lodge cars and bands are to do when they enter the field. The result, about one third do the right thing, one third do it half right and one third do what they did last year i.e. completely wrong. Lots of hand waving looking at instructions and shouts of houl on and where you going but tired legs mean everyone soon decides to get it sorted out when the return parade starts. It is memories of incidents like this that always make me smile when someone describes the OO as some sort of grand conspiracy.
A spot to set the banner down is found. The Lodge car parks up and after wrestling with ground sheets, poles and cable ties we have a nice spot to rest and have something to eat and drink. The bantering and chatting starts. As the ‘newly wed’ in the lodge I get all the usual joke ‘horror’ stories of married men augmented by the terror of children. This is interspersed with the entertainment of one of the families in the Lodge – two sons winding up their father.
A few aimless wanders around the field to see who you see (better to keep walking rather than stand, standing makes sore feet very painful). Listen for a few minutes at the platform. Ring Mick and shoot the breeze with him a few minutes. A few seconds after the call finished I get a text from him needing an explanation of bowlers. Ring back with the explanation I was given. Get introduced to some visitors from Tennesee. Later chat some politics with a DUP councillor. Unfortunately the field is as you would expect after a few months of rain, muddy. However, after you step in a pile of mud and get your shoes and trousers covered in glar better to be philosophical and plough on. It’s the dry cleaners problem now.
A few sit downs to rest legs and feet. Quick inspection of foot condition but no need the first aid tent this year. My cunning plan to avoid blisters has worked. Then have the fish that got away conversation with other lodge members instead about blisters, “It was so big…”. The worse year for me was the first re-routing of the Twelfth to Ormeau Park. Our car clocked 19 miles and I was doing marshall that year so lots of running about. It required a long visit to the first aid tent followed by a painful walk home.
The kids are taken to the toy stalls to spend the money Lodge members have given them. Unfortunately, the stalls are selling airhorns so continual tooting but all three are enjoying their day so resist a Scrooge moment. Just as things start to get boring in the field its time to set off again. The mess begins to untangle itself, much stop and starting, we should be in there no you shouldn’t where’s the marshal etc. The sun also begins to emerge as we leave the field and by the time we reach Balmoral Avenue it is bright sunshine. As we progress down the road the daughter of one Lodge member decides to put her Highland dance classes into practice – jumping and twirling the steps to the flute band tunes. Lots of cameras snapping shouts of encouragement to her and occassional ripples of applause for her spontaneous efforts.
As I thought there seemed to be little/no action on public drinking by the police, by my own estimation it was down a bit on previous years but still far too much of it. We reach Shaftesbury Square. The crowd closes in, singing along as the band plays the Sash. The banner carriers have kept to their word and carried it the whole way. They have enough energy to dance around with the banner but a marshall spots it so we’ll probably get fined. Turn off the Dublin Road and back round to Sandy Row. Memorial duty for the last time then into a side street.
The Lodge falls out then the banner is propped up against the wall and post parade arrangements discussed. In the midst of this a gust of wind catched the banner. It falls over but caught a few inches from my head, almost end my Twelfth with a cracked skull. The Lodge car is unloaded of possessions then some go to the WM’s house for a bite to eat and some drink. Others head on home with shouts of see you at the Lodge meeting. I am among those to head home. A much needed lift up home and the releif of getting into the house. Take off the shoes and jacket. Reply to well-wishing text messages from friends in England and Spain.
Switch on the hot water for a good soak but make the error of switching on the computer. Update the Orange Halls thread with the South Armagh link and then check out my Twelfth thread. See the good wishes and Comrade Stalin’s queries in public drinking. I reply but when I double check it appeared I spot merrie’s query for an update on my day. I sit down to do a brief reply but it seems to grow until I decide to just do it as a thread. That strange surge of energy your body finds at times when by rights you should be horizontal. Now the surge is declining and good sense is telling me to to get into the hot bath I was supposed to have an hour ago or so ago. So enjoy this tome or not, I will be enjoying the warmth of a good soak and coming up with my excuses for not listening to my wife’s sensible advice this morning. How does “You don’t understand, it’s an Ulster Prod thing” sound?
Fran – I don’t recall Bratty ever been convicted of murder – do you?
Also will resist temptation for whataboutery.
FD: “AFAIK the banner makes no direct reference to a terrorist group simply has the name and picture of a person murdered in the Troubles so it is not illegal. ”
in other words, its SSDD — The OO celebrates the hoods, then tries to pussyfoot around the truth. A few lying crocidile tears, a few rhetorical questions of why Catholics object to their parades, then right back into the business of celebrating Protestant gunmen.
It celebrates a Loyalist murderer, FD, and all your sophistry and semantics cannot change that. If you ever wonder why the OO is firmly connected in the minds of some with Loyalist / Protestant terrorism, think on that banner and try a little harder.
Is this the only problem people have with the 12th the questionable banner that Ivan Little mentioned in his report. He also said that paramiltary trapings were well down on previous years, and next year I believe they will be gone for good.
FD
It has been claimed that orangeism is struggling in relation to attracting new members in Belfast, can you confirm or deny that?
Can paint dry in the rain?
“Fran – I don’t recall Bratty ever been convicted of murder – do you?”
skinbop
terrorist apologists take many forms and the 2007 version of the orange order are happy to be associated with, and happy to celebrate mass murderers within its ranks.
From Bratty & The Shankill Butchers in Belfast to uvf murderers in Coleraine & Lisburn.
When the leadership of the orange order accepts and supports mass murderers, don’t blame those who critisize for the likes of Deputy grand master McMordie,Dawson Baillie or Billy Mawhinney who, as senior members of the orange institution openly endorced loyalist terrorism.
Its not a Belfast thing, its an orange leadership thing.
‘A thing’ that openly supports the mass murderers of loyalism through public statements, and through the commemoration of killers in bands and lodges.
allybo
People don’t always listen
DC
Can the moral outrage. You asked a specific question re: the police. IMO just because it jumps the legal hurdle doesn’t make it right.
KAT?
Damn!
I thought it was the more acceptable KAJ!
FD,
If people don’t always listen, then sanctions should be taken against them. Had this happened already, then the front page of today’s Sunday Life would not be headlining this story.
allybo
Hopefully the promised OO investigation will achieve a positive outcome.
Hi Fair Deal
I am interested to know your opinion on the current state of Orangeism in Belfast and how this bodes for the future, for instance is membership really dwindling in the capital city?
Outsider
I don’t know the figures but my general impression is it’s ticking over with some signs of change but still plenty to do.
Thats my general impression to, however here in Fermanagh the institution this year has again increased with a good blend of young, middle aged and older members.
I feel the order needs a more proactive leader such as Lord Laird instead of Robert Saulters who gave a dreadful speech at the 12th.
The order does however need to attract more new members in areas such as Belfast as it cannot rely soley on members from Fermanagh and Tyrone.
Outsider
Congrats to Fermanagh
Hi Fair Deal
There are a huge number of people within the OO in Fermanagh who work tirelessly to promote the Order and recruit new members, their time and commitment is really paying off. In addition to this there are border counties that have impressive bands and lodges as well so I do belive that this bodes well for the future.
I had a relative who came over from England for this years 12th thinking that it was coming to an end as it had heard a lot of soundbites etc indicating that this was the case. To say he was surprised at the huge parade is a complete understatement.
FD: “Can the moral outrage. You asked a specific question re: the police. IMO just because it jumps the legal hurdle doesn’t make it right. ”
Incorrect — I also asked about the parade marshals. To quote: “And what, out of curiousity, did the VAUNTED MARSHALS (emphasis added)or PSNI do about said banner?
So long as the OO permits such banners, they will enjoy their current reputation. So long as you play semantic games and produce sophistry, you’ll look like an apologist for the OO and its relationship with Loyalism. The fact that you are reduced to semantic games and selective is telling.
If the OO wants to lie down with dogs, that is their business… but they have no grounds to complain that others don’t want them about, for fear of the fleas.
DC
The only one engaging in semantics or sophistry is yourself. An answer to the specific question becomes a general statement and interpreted to represent a view I don’t hold.
Re: Marshalls – They deal with breaches in one of two ways, either an approach to the master of the lodge for action, if no action it is included in the marshalls report or they simply make a note of it of the infrigement for the marshalls report. the Lodge then gets an opportunity to respond then a ruling is made on the infringements.
First of all, FD, pointing out that you selectively read my post is not a matter of semantics or sophistry.
Second of all, as I am given to understand from this thread that this is the second year running this banner has been displayed in this parade, which suggests that the OO is not really keen on cutting the perceived cord between themselves and Loyalism.
Lastly, since you seem to have no apparent issue with the banner, I would expect then that you shan’t be complaining about the beret and bomber jacket set next time they decide to go on a jaunt in the name of some bomber or butcher — if its gravy for a goose, it must be gravy for a gander. If the OO, that bastion of Protestant thought and faith, allows the celebration of Loyalist thugs, how can they complain when other communities celebrate their own thugs?
A public event such as a parade has a speech aspect to it. If the OO really wants not to be conflated in the minds of the public with Loyalism, perhaps they shouldn’t mumble and fumble as much as they do.
The uvf & uff have marshalled many orange order parades over the years, so marshalls are unlikely to take action against their paramilitary colleagues carrying paramilitary banners
Interesting article by Tom McGurk in Sunday Business Post about the confusion the OO might be feeling now:
http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=TOM+MCGURK-qqqs=commentandanalysis-qqqid=25122-qqqx=1.asp
“Almost as though it had never presented a problem before, this year’s Twelfth of July, the high point of the marching season, passed off without any trouble.
Given the new political circumstances, the boys of Ballygobackwards must have had terrible problems putting together speeches for the field afterwards.
When former members of the IRA Army Council are sitting in Stormont in ministerial positions, there’s not a lot left to be warning the brethren about.
In many ways, the confusion felt by last Thursday’s Orange Order speechmakers only reflects a wider confusion.
The power-sharing experiment between the DUP and Sinn Fein is actually, by dint of its very existence, attacking that central myth belying partition itself: the necessity of separateness and the importance of difference. For centuries, the North has been trapped in a culture of separateness and differences, its ‘us and them’ mentality the ineluctable concept of two separated tribes going about their ways in two separate cultures.
Even in so short a time, the power of a devolved government being shared between the two extremes of the post-plantation political quagmire that the North had become, has profoundly shaken all the assumptions.
Suddenly – and this is no exaggeration centuries of perceived wisdoms and homespun consensus about the ‘other side’ are being challenged – not to mention what has happened to generations of political assumptions.
The greatest challenge being faced in this area is by unionism. Its central founding myth – that political power in the hands of Irish nationalists threatened the unionist way of life – is now under scrutiny as never before.”
It seems that the uda do indeed steward orange parades
‘Stewarding marches and keeping them peaceful’
http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/article2771108.ece
The PSNI refused to allow orange stewards through the gates of Workman Avenue during the contentious Whiterock parade this year because the stewards were if fact…guess.
DC
“my post is not a matter of semantics or sophistry.”
Making the actions of this band and lodge’s failure to act a statement by the entire organisation is.
“since you seem to have no apparent issue with the banner”
Oh dear who is doing selective reading now? What part of “My answer remains the same it shouldn’t have been carried by the band.” did you not understand?
“I would expect then that you shan’t be complaining about the beret and bomber jacket set next time they decide to go on a jaunt in the name of some bomber or butcher”
See above.
Frank – not sure why you included my comment in your posting since you made no attempt to address the question. Weird.
The problem with Slugger is that the responses generated from threads generally stem from militant republican origins. As someone pointed out on this messageboard some time ago the voice of middle ground constitutional nationalism has been silenced therefore the Protestant/Unionist section of this board have to endure hate filled posts from a group of people who are not representative of the community they are from.
The thread that was started asking for people to state three good things about the Orange Order immediately degenerated into a hate filled rant against the Orange Order which lack the obvious charm, vision and respect that genuine Nationalism generally displays.
It seems that many on this board have went out of their way to be offended by one banner which 99.99% of Orangeism have been disgusted with. However the ever vigilant members of slugger have refused to gave the Order any credit for ensuring that this years 12th was the most peaceful in years, for tackling the problem of Alcohol at orange parades and for reducing the amount of paramilitary trappings at orange parades.
If Republicans are serious about a shared future then they need to seriously revise their intolerant attitudes to the Orange Order.
FD: “Making the actions of this band and lodge’s failure to act a statement by the entire organisation is. ”
Trying to isolate the bad behavior as being limited solely to a given lodge or band is futile — it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the barrel. As they are allowed to remain part of the the whole, their actions reflect on the whole. Likewise, as they re-invited a band that carried this banner, they (and by extension, all the other bands and lodges that marched) have no apparent problem with said banner.
If they were troubled at all with the presence of the banner last year, all they had to do to solve the matter was not invite the band in question to march this year. As they chose to do so, they are given their defacto approval to the banner.
FD: “Oh dear who is doing selective reading now? What part of “My answer remains the same it shouldn’t have been carried by the band.†did you not understand? ”
Which displays no real disturbance on your part — a verbal shrug at most. You are seemingly unperturbed, with no more discomfit that the fellow who realized he wore brown shoes with a black belt or some other nearly insignificant faux pas.
DC
On this issue, the ball was well and truly dropped. However claims of universal agreement/support etc is still more your imaginings than the attitudes that exist.
So saying something shouldn’t happen becomes quasi-support. What was that about sophistry and semantics?
FD: “On this issue, the ball was well and truly dropped. However claims of universal agreement/support etc is still more your imaginings than the attitudes that exist. ”
Do not confuse tacit approval with some official stamp of approval. One does not have to open declaim one’s approval of something to demonstrate it, say, by their open association with Loyalist marching bands what celebrate massacres.
The freedom to associate is also the freedom to not associate. By inviting this band, the lodge has signaled it approval of their banner. By marching, the other groups have demonstrated their willingness to be associated with this band.
YOU may salve yourself with discussion of the arcane internal structure of the OO and bureaucratic double-talk and dog and pony show investigations that never quite seems to reach the logical solution to this idiotic displays of sectarism. A goodly number of the rest of us see Orangement freely associating with Loyalism. The parade organizers CHOSE to invite this band. The other bands and lodges CHOSE to participate, despite last year’s display of sectarianism. Last year, maybe your argument held some water. This year it should not.
Who do you propose we believe, you or our own damned eyes?
The other lodges etc didn’t know. When you are physically participating in a procession some two miles long you only know what is in front of you and behind you. The last I had heard it had been sorted out after last year but something else went wrong hence why I said the ball was well and truly dropped.
On Graham’s point about the hoods on the Cregagh Road, I completely sympathise. I stayed in Belfast this year for the twelfth as circumstances conspired against me. It’s interesting that you mention your old settee. On the eleventh night some old furniture appeared in the street in the shape of a three piece suite and a few other items. Of course by the twelfth morning this was a charred mess which lay in the middle of the road until yesterday. I wasn’t sure whether to be more angry at the people who’d dragged this out to avoid having to dispose of it properly, or the wee hoods who’d set it on fire.
Taking a somewhat anthropological view of being around the city parade, I visited Sandy Row bonfire on the 11th with a mate. It was a reasonably tame and harmless event and there were Poles and some Chinese attending quite happily and getting locals to take snaps of them in front of the fire. There was plenty of drink, but also plenty of families and nothing seemed to get out of hand.
The 12th saw me a little sluggish after partaking in the previous night’s Harperage a little too enthusiastically. I missed the morning parade along the Lisburn Road and struggled to find anywhere open for a bit of lunch (any number of burgers of course could have been obtained). My girlfriend had some strange compulsion to go walking below Shaw’s Bridge in the afternoon, despite my warnings that the field was close by. There was a fair bit of drink in evidence where we parked, a good few casualties passed out on the side of the road etc., a fair bit of roaring and shouting. Nothing to your average music festival for example.
In the evening we went up to observe the return parade and I was buttonholed by some NI supporting mates just outside the Edinburgh Club. It was a bit of an eye-opener having only ever seen one parade before (the Ballymena one). The rowdiest bands undoubtedly added the sense of fun, but some of their activities did have a degree of aggression behind them. Lord Laird’s float is pitiful to be honest. There was a degree of drunkeness and vandalism (kids jumping on the portable toilets etc) but it was far from the norm and pretty representative of any big crowd’s behaviour.
I caught a little bit of the parades on tv on the twelfth, and the biggest impression was that it was all just a little half-assed – how hard is it for the bands and orangemen to simply walk in step and some semblance of order? Answer – not very, because some were managing it ok. But on the whole, the impression was of just a fairly slovenly, and underwhelming bunch of people wandering along – with inconsistency in dress, people leaving and entering along the way, and cars in the middle of the parade.
So FD I’m glad you enjoyed your day, but I would say that if the twelfth is to be appealing as a spectacle to a wider audience, whether they be tourists, non-unionists whoever, more effort should be spent in the first instance making it impressive to look at. I’m sure that there would be those who would say that this is part of the charm etc – well surely what you should be aiming at is dignity and soemnity and I didn’t see a great deal of that.
I went last year to the parade in Coleraine with my (French) girlfriend, to show her what it’s all about, it was the first time I’d been to one for ages, and while I’d say that it was better seen in the flesh, with some decent bands, colourful banners etc, there was still this overhang of mediocrity. Nobody knew when the bands would come; there was supposed to be a “multicultural†parade, which turned out to be about 3 black guys with drums, and a couple of chinese people with a dragon outfit, who walked around about 15 mins ahead of the main parade (sorry to say, but we just burst out laughing at how ridiculous it was); it was ok, but I’d be hard-pushed to say it was a great spectacle.
(My girlfriend was over again this year, and she didn’t mention she’d like to go back..)
I don’t know whether it’s a NI thing, an inability to organise impressive public spectacles, I remember going to the St Pat’s parade in Belfast when I was at uni (2001?), and I had to leave for fear of losing toes, so restricted was the bloodflow due to their curling – I just have vague nightmarish memories of a sea of celtic and ROI football shirts, black taxis blowing their horns and clapped out lorries with tattered bits of green hanging from them.
It seems, with a couple of lapses, the OO is changing and with Nationalists retrieving stolen OO banners and a DUP person defending an SF person maybe the trend is going to be a battle as to who is doing the nicest things to the other!!
There is a Hindi guru who says that elections should be won by a person who has given most praise to his/her opponents, not the one who has belittled them.
Now wouldn’t that be a change in NI, or indeed everywhere.
FD: “The other lodges etc didn’t know.”
First, the banner made the walk last year and, as I recall, did not go unnoticed or uncommented upon. As such, it was well within their capability of finding out if the same lot of louts had been invited back. A reputation is the easiest thing to destroy and one of the hardest to repair.
Secondly, from a public relations aspect, it doesn’t really matter — they were there, the offending banner and band were there, all freely associating with one another. Given the reverberating silence out of the OO on the matter, is it unfair to assume they approve?
FD: “The last I had heard it had been sorted out after last year but something else went wrong hence why I said the ball was well and truly dropped. ”
Sure they did… and when it happens next year?
The ball wasn’t dropped, it was spiked, with the band not merely carrying the banner, but doing an American-style touchdown dance in front of the place where the massacre took place. That is not “dropping the ball.”
As I said, all that had to be done was make sure the offending band and associated lodge went uninvited. That’s all — and the OO couldn’t even manage that simple solution — delete one or two entries from their invite list and move on.
One could argue, based upon the blatant act of triumphalism and celebration of sectarian massacre, that the parade should not march past that location in future years. If the parade as a whole cannot maintain its composure going past the site, mayhap it should be re-routed so the temptation does not arise.
I don’t have your faith that this was a bureaucratic screw-up, FD — they fooled the organizers once, shame on them… fooled them twice, shame on the organizers…
…assuming any fooling was actually going on.
As a member of the Ulster First Flute band i have to point out that we were never asked nor told not to carry our banner so we saw no problem with it. In the past at Orange parades we have been asked not to carry paramilitary flags and we have always obliged when asked.