On Wednesday 21st of April, the QUB Orange Society undertook what is hoped to be the first of many signature cultural and historic annual excursions. The Dan Winters Project 2010, sponsored by the Queen’s Annual Fund, saw Orange Society members join with friends and guests to visit Dan Winters’ cottage near Loughgall. Dan Winters’ cottage is prominent in Orange folklore as being credited as the birthplace of the Orange Order, which has since grown into the world-wide fraternal organisation representing the Reformed Christian faith.
BY JAMES MILLS
Arriving at Dan Winters’ cottage, students were greeted by Mrs Hilda Winters, ancestor of the famous Dan Winters, who gave a quick tour of the cottage, followed by a history of the Winters Family. After this, guest speaker Nigel Lutton, a historian, gave a detailed account of the Orange Institution from its origins in 1795 through to the present day, and how it has grown into an international organisation, with lodges in Africa, Australia and the USA. The institution was born at Dan Winters’ cottage after the Battle of the Diamond in 1795 with the order being formally created in Sloan’s inn in Loughgall soon afterwards. Lutton also gave an interesting talk on the Plantation of Ireland, the 1641 Rebellion, Glorious Revolution 1688, 1798 United Irishmen’s Rebellion right through to the 1912 Home Rule Crisis and a modern history of the Portadown/Loughall area. A brief question and answer session followed and a certificate commemorating the visit of the society was presented to Mrs Hilda Winters by society Chairman James Mills. A certificate was also presented by the Winters Family to the Chairman of the society, to be displayed in the Students’ Union building.
The Orange society at the Queen’s University of Belfast was established as a meeting point for all students regardless of community background to learn more about the Orange tradition. Holding regular meetings in the Students’ Union, the society strives to engage members and guests alike in debates regarding the history, culture, philosophy and theological outlook of Orangeism. It also assesses the role of the Orange Institution in today’s world. Having a broad membership recruited from within the student body, the Orange Society enjoys engagement with other organisations across the Queen’s campus.
Keen to expound and explain the Orange point of view and history, the Orange Society issued an open invitation to all Students’ representative Councillors and Sabbatical Union Officers to attend the Dan Winters Project. Many accepted, and the society was very pleased to have Nathan Anderson, newly elected Vice-President for Education join the historical tour. The Queen’s Annual fund sponsored trip gave many members and guests of the Orange Society a first opportunity to visit this recognised heritage site, and hear about a turbulent but formative time in British and Irish history.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Orange Tradition or the activities of the Orange Society at the Queen’s University should contact quborangesociety@hotmail.co.uk or visit the website at http://orange.society.qub.ac.uk/
as stated above its easy to make comparisons and express opinions on people who you have never even met before. Perhaps the simple solution is to go along and meet some of the members of the orange society at one of their events, see what they are like as people before you automatically jump to conclusions about them. Jumping to conclusions about people is a sure sign of your own bigoted opinions and that you arent willing to go and meet the people face to face and see what they are really like .
‘No, you see, it’s about hating Catholics, not blacks. It’s maddening – the Order grew out of hatred and violence. Pluralism must still have limits; why tolerate an organisation built entirely on intransigent intolerance? That’s farcical. And more profoundly Orwellian. Co-opting the language of liberal moderation to defend gormless, naked sectarianism? As if it was nothing more insidious than the bloody Riverdance? Of course, if you’re defending them you’re beyond help.’
It is not about hating Catholics. Do you actually know what happens at the meeting of an Orange Lodge. A few prayers are said, men swap pleasantries, a cup of tea is consumed, a bible reading is read and then everybody departs. It is hardly sinister. Of course there may be elements within the Order that are explicitly sectarian (though Catholic neighbours carrying out a Protestant farmer’s duties on the Twelfth is not uncommon) but that is the sad byproduct of a sectarian society.
The area where the Orange Order emerged was an extremely sectarian area, however it was intolerance of Protestantism that was the issue. Hundreds upon hundreds of Protestants were brutally slaughtered in this part of the world during the 1641 Rebellion, and many more right up to the present day. This created the need for Protestant solidarity, it is natural to gather together for mutual protection and comfort in times of trial.
You have displayed little knowledge of context or history in your argument, so I’m afraid it is you who is beyond help in this situation. Groups like the Orange Order and the AOH cannot be judged purely from a 21st century perspective. You have to look into the annals of history to even begin to understand their meaning.
Nothing like a bit of bigotry to expose more bigotry. What a hideously polarised thread.
Except there has been no expression on intolerance or bigotry from the Orange Society at any stage. =/
so because I presume to remain annonymous, in some manner this detracts from my viewpoint…
Let me reiterate…it is a fact that the majority of both Nationalists and Catholics perceive the OO to be a bigoted anti-Catholic organisation…
If this hurts, deal with it.
Perception being the operative word.
All you have served to do here with your slurs and Nazi comparisons is to demonstrate your own inherent bigotry fuelled by ignorance.
Your false ‘perceptions’ is down to your own ignorance and intolerance, it is you who has the issue and needs to educate yourself and “deal with it”, sir.
Isn’t it stunning how some people’s views can seem so utterly and fundamentally different from your own, that you find it hard to believe that you grew up in the same country…?
Makes me want to tear my hair out sometimes. It is so frustrating to see people formulate these long and supposedly historically informed arguments (whilst obviously bringing up entirely unrelated issued to, just for the craic), and overlook major issues simulataneously, because they are literally unable to see any side other than their own.
As I say, at first it is unbelieveably frustrating. Then you just think “what’s the point in even trying?”
I suppose this is the New Northern Ireland, folks. Isn’t it awesome?
(for the record, it is, but only when everyone pretends the troubles and/or politics doesn’t exist. then ocassionally we remember that they do, and everything goes balls up again.)