"Parity of Esteem" Respecting Orange Traditions

Respecting Orange Traditions The Drumcree situation was recently referred to by a writer in one of the daily papers as a "scandalous situation which needs to be resolved". Well few Orangemen would disagree with the writer who hit out so strongly, and they are entitled for saying "Tell us something we don't already know".

The blunt fact is that the Drumcree parading controversy, like those at Dunloy, Ballynafeigh and other places, was not something sought by the Orange Order. On the contrary all the Orange Order in Portadown, South Belfast and Co. Antrim has sought has been to maintain the status quo. The Orange parades were long established, and mostly involve church processions. They are no threat to anyone, are not held to give offence, and are purely cultural, traditional, and above all religious. If anyone on the republican and nationalist side finds them offensive and threatening, well that is their problem. They are certainly not held for that purpose, and more and more what is becoming clear is that the real problem with Orange parades is that they are not acceptable to Sinn Fein-IRA, to the so-called nationalist residents groups, and sadly, even to 'moderate' nationalists is that they represent the Protestant and British presence in Northern Ireland.

All sorts of sweet and honeyed words were used (click here)at the time of the Belfast Agreement about respecting one another's traditions and about parity of esteem. Well, so far it can be seen that this does not extend on the republican-nationalist side to respecting the right of Orangemen to walk peacefully from their place of worship. Those, who say in a vague sort of way that the issue is a 'scandal' and must be resolved, are in a real sense dodging the central question - is there any scenario in which Irish republicans, nationalists and much of the Roman Catholic population will respect Protestant, Orange and Unionist parades? That issue must be faced, and the moderates cannot side step it. They tried to tell Northern Ireland people that the Republic of Ireland had changed and that it was now a pluralist society and could accommodate all shades of Irish opinion.

Try telling that to Orangeman Ian Cox and the rest of the Dublin Orangemen whose harmless little historical plaque ceremony was spoiled, and parade aborted due to gross intimidation and threats.

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, whether republicans or nationalists like it or not. They signed up to an Agreement which accepted Northern Ireland's position with the UK. They also paid lip service to the principle of accepting other peoples' traditions, culture and parades. Now is the time for them to prove it and allow Drumcree, Dunloy and Ballynafeigh issues to be resolved without acrimony.