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    The "Glorious Twelfth" in Northern Ireland

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The "Glorious Twelfth" in Northern Ireland Empty The "Glorious Twelfth" in Northern Ireland

    Post by Kitkat Thu 12 Jul 2012, 12:25

    Orange Order says it has peaceful solution to Ardoyne march ruling

    Let's hope so, * although I won't be holding my breath. *

    Passing the Catholic area is an essential part of the march, in order to taunt the Catholics with their pipes and drums and orange sashes. Isn't that the whole idea of these marches on 12th July -- to celebrate their "victory" over the Catholics at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690? (er .. not quite ... see my next post 'Myths Surrounding the Battle of the Boyne')

    The Orange March - 12th July

    Members usually attend an afternoon service in south Belfast then walk back across the city to their Orange halls.

    The Parades Commission has ruled they must pass a flashpoint Catholic area at Ardoyne by 16:00 BST - a deadline the Orangemen said was unfeasible.

    The Protestant organisation has said it will reveal its solution later.

    Lodges and bands passed the flashpoint Ardoyne shops area earlier on Thursday on their way to the field where Orangemen gather before returning to their own areas later.

    There were no major incidents as the parade passed.

    There had also been concerns about a parade in the village of Crumlin, County Antrim, where restrictions had been imposed.

    However, a statement issued by the PSNI late on Wednesday said that the Orange Order and Crumlin Residents Association had held talks and come to various agreements to ensure a positive and peaceful Twelfth parade in the village.

    'Difficult decisions'
    The Twelfth of July is the busiest day of the marching season in Northern Ireland with thousands of Orangemen and women, accompanied by marching bands, taking part in hundreds of parades.

    The Orange Order holds its main Belfast event, which commemorates King William III's 1690 Battle of the Boyne victory over Catholic King James II, at Barnetts Demesne, five miles away from Ardoyne.

    Thousands of Orangemen, often accompanied by flute bands, stage a major demonstration through Belfast every year.

    They weave through the city's streets to gather in a field where they hear religious addresses.

    Most parades pass off without incident, but as each branch - or individual lodge separates from the main group to return to their own areas in the evening, there can be trouble.

    The order said it would be impossible to walk to the field on the outward parade and then make the homeward parade past Ardoyne by 16:00 BST.

    In previous years, the parade has passed through the area on its return from the field at about 19:00 BST, and the Orange Order says the earlier deadline would curtail their festivities.

    On Wednesday evening, Orangemen from the Belfast county lodges and local politicians met on the Shankill Road to discuss the Parades Commission decision.

    Orange Order spokesman Reverend Mervyn Gibson said they had found a solution.

    "All present have agreed a course of action that will guarantee a homeward parade for the Ligoniel lodges," he said.

    "This is a peaceful solution to the appalling predicament the Parades Commission have placed us all in.

    "Difficult decisions have been taken but decisions which will offer hope and encouragement to our communities, indeed to all the people of Northern Ireland."

    He said more details would be given to Orange Order members at the main Twelfth celebration in Belfast at Barnetts Demesne on Thursday afternoon.


    * Loyalists have been protesting against the Parades Commission's determination on Ardoyne.
    Mr Gibson refused to say whether members would abide by the Parades Commission ruling. *


    Legal challenge
    Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson tweeted: "Good to see Orange Order giving responsible leadership to maintain peaceful outcome in spite of outrageous Parades Commission ruling."

    Police have said they will "robustly uphold" the Parades Commission decision banning Orangemen from walking past shops in the nationalist area of north Belfast after the deadline passes.

    Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said there would be no leeway.

    "We will uphold the Parades Commission determination and its timings," he said.

    Earlier on Wednesday, a legal bid by a north Belfast loyalist to secure legal aid to challenge the Parades Commission ruling was refused.

    The unnamed individual had sought to have the decision overturned in the High Court.

    It is understood the person, whose identity has not been revealed, was not a member of the Orange Order or any parades organisation.

    Thousands of officers are on standby to police the parade in Ardoyne, that has preceded serious rioting in recent years.

    Last year, 16 police officers were injured during sustained disturbances the area.

    The overall policing bill for the marching season in 2011 was £5.7m. There were 160 arrests.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18802232
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The "Glorious Twelfth" in Northern Ireland Empty Myths surrounding the Battle of the Boyne

    Post by Kitkat Thu 12 Jul 2012, 12:30

    A Battle for Ireland?
    Myths Surrounding the Battle of the Boyne


    On July 1st, 1690, two armies consisting of Danish, French, Dutch, Huguenot, German, English and even Irish troops met on the banks of the River Boyne near Drogheda. Both were led by men insisting that they alone were the rightful King of England. The main force of both armies never took part in the fighting. The Battle of the Boyne was not decisive in any way. It wasn't even about Ireland - yet it became one of the most iconic events in Irish history.

    1688 - The Glorious Revolution

    To explain the Battle of the Boyne one has to start at the root cause of it. King James II of England, a Stuart, aroused the suspicions of the Westminster parliament by his reactionary politics and his definite leanings towards the Catholic church. Succeeding his brother Charles II as king, James was already 51 years old and not expected to last. Or build a dynasty - he was childless. And next in line for the throne was Mary, Charles' niece, married to William - an obscure European nobleman currently Stadtholder of the (staunchly Protestant) Netherlands.

    While his religious beliefs might have been tolerable for a while, James' claim to being the absolute ruler got the Houses of Parliament's collective feathers immediately into a ruffle. Less than 40 years ago a king's head was chopped off for similar aspirations. Four months after James II accession the first rebellion under the Duke of Monmouth (his nephew, albeit illegitimate) failed. The "Bloody Assizes" followed, ringing home the reality of absolute kingship.

    The final straw arrived on June 10th, 1688, in the form of the Prince of Wales - as if by magic James had suddenly succeeded in creating a male heir! Catholic succession was ensured.

    William put all his eggs into one basket, sailed for England and landed at Brixham on November 5th, 1688. Ensuring the support of English dissidents, William marched upon London, manage to throw James out of England. The "Glorious Revolution" was a success and on February 13th William and Mary were crowned joint sovereigns - after signing the Bill of Rights and effectively making absolute monarchy impossible.

    Jacobites Versus Williamites

    The Glorious Revolution ripped Britain politically apart - supporters of "the Old King" vowing to resist the political change by force. They became collectively known as the Jacobites, James being the English version of the Biblical name Jacob. Not surprisingly supporters of King William became known as Willamites.

    To view this conflict as a religious issue is a futile exercise - though James' Catholicism caused suspicion and ultimately led to his downfall. Political issues were far more important. And the Protestant William actually had the support of Pope Innocent XI. And William's European allies were mainly drawn from the League of Augsburg - an anti-French cabal of nobility, but including Catholic states as well.

    Battleground Ireland

    Ireland became a battleground almost by accident - having left England, James II had de facto handed William the crown on a silver plate. His only hope of restoration was linked to a return to his realm. And only one part was considered secure and sympathetic enough - Catholic Ireland, effectively ruled by the Jacobite Tyrconnel.

    Tyrconnel was determined to hold on to power in Ireland and played a diplomatic cat-and-mouse-game involving William, James and Louis XIV of France.

    With French blessings and military support James II landed at Kinsale on March 12th, 1689, bent on re-conquering Ireland, than Scotland, then England. Several Jacobite successes followed and the Siege of Derry began on April 16th, the Williamites were seemingly losing on a big scale. And James even managed to establish his own parliament in Dublin.

    But the military campaign of the Duke of Schomberg, at that time a Brandenburg general "on loan" to William, almost reversed the situation. And on June 14th, 1690, William III entered Ireland at the head of 15,000 troops (mostly Dutch and Danish) - using the port of Carrickfergus and heading south for Dublin via Newry and Drogheda.

    James II decided to thwart this plan by defending Dublin on the banks of the River Boyne. Occupying Drogheda and the Oldbridge Estate to the west looked like a good idea at the time.

    The situation on the morning of July 1st, 1690, was clear - William III wanted to get through to Dublin and had to find a way across the Boyne. Easier said than done, with Drogheda occupied and fortified by Jacobite troops a crossing near the Oldbridge Estate looked the only achievable goal. So William marched his assorted troops there.

    Waiting to meet him was the army loyal to James II, led by the man himself. And this is the first reason why the battle achieved fame: It was the only time both kings were actually on a battlefield, facing each other (albeit at a distance).

    The battle itself, though bloody enough, was not a massive engagement. Many troops only "fought" outside musket range, others got (literally) bogged down, reduced to glaring at an enemy scowling back across a piece of unpassable land. And while the Jacobites had (in theory) a very defensible position the Williamites more than straightened the odds by having and employing artillery as well as fielding experienced soldiers. Within a few hours these soldiers, despite losing the Duke of Schomberg, managed to force a passage across the Boyne, to beat back counter-attacks and to establish a safe passage across the river, onwards to Dublin.

    And here further iconic status was gained - William of Orange crossing the Boyne became the emblematic image it still is today. And James fleeing pell-mell southwards, finally to France and never to return, is not forgotten either. Neither is his remark to Lady Tyrconnel that her countrymen certainly ran well. In reply to which she observed that he seemed to have outrun them.

    But one has to add that James was not too far off the mark - especially the "Gaelic Irish" regiments again proved their tendency to simply go home when their commanding officer was killed. The "cause" was a very nebulous concept to them.

    The Subsequent Failure of the Jacobite Cause

    As the Battle of the Boyne was not decisive in any way, the war continued. Mainly thanks to William's biggest blunder - instead of opting for peace and reconciliation he lambasted the Jacobites and drew up punitive terms under which their surrender might be recognized. Winning hearts and minds obviously was not very high on his agenda - and thus he actually managed to stiffen the enemy's resistance. Which only ended more than a year later at Limerick.

    Jacobites made two more serious attempts to regain the throne for the Stuarts - in 1715 and again in 1745, the last under the ineffective but very romantic "Bonnie Prince Charlie". After the massacre of his troops during the Battle of Culloden (Scotland) the Jacobite cause effectively ran out of steam. But Culloden became as iconic for Scotland as the Battle of the Boyne is for Ireland.

    The Battle of the Boyne as a Protestant Icon

    Despite its ultimate historic insignificance, the Battle of the Boyne became a Protestant and Unionist icon - this was mainly due to the presence of both kings on the battlefield. The image of James running from the victorious William was too good to resist. Even if the Protestant William fought the Catholic James with the unlikely backing of Pope Innocent XI!

    The Orange Order, founded in the 1790s to preserve the Protestant Ascendency, made the celebration of the battle the central event of its calendar. Which it still is today - though the highlight of the marching season is actually taking place on July 12th, the wrong day. July 12th is a public holiday in Northern Ireland and massive parades are held in commemoration of William's victory. An impressive event, though highly divisive and sectarian in character.

    And a tour of (Protestant) Belfast will surely bring you face to face with the iconic image burned into Irish minds - "King Billy" in a red coat, astride a white horse, pointing his sword towards victory and a glorious Protestant-dominated future. This representation may not be historically correct, but every Irish schoolboy will instantly recognize it. On both parts of the divide. It represents not only Protestant victory but also the close connection to England.

    http://goireland.about.com/od/historyculture/qt/boynebattlemyth.htm
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The "Glorious Twelfth" in Northern Ireland Empty The Sash My Father Wore

    Post by Kitkat Thu 12 Jul 2012, 13:04

    "The Sash My Father Wore" ... this is the signature tune of the Orange Order 12th July parades. This is the song they sing and the tune that's blasted out from the orange sash-clad, suited and bowler-hatted marchers with their beating drums and their pipes.

    It's a tune that I remember oh so well, its story and colourful significance and meaning drummed into me from an early age.

    I would have been about 9 or 10 at the time. We had a piano in our house where I was to be found whenever the chance came to me. I played "by ear", and would bash out the tune of anything that happened to hit my ear... be it Top of the Pops, tunes from the jukebox (lucky to have one in our house, as a major draw for the customers in our family-run café/restaurant), rebel songs, folk tunes, sig tunes for tv programmes, I would get requests from all areas ... (the Match of the Day theme tune was a favourite request of my Dad's) giggle

    Anyway .. one day, sitting happily playing away on the piano ... a catchy tune that I had recently heard somewhere but didn't know from where ... my Dad came storming out to me ... face like thunder! I can remember him almost spitting out the words ... "What the hell do you think yer doin? Where the feckin' hell did you hear that (censored) .... piece of ......... (censored)?????? Do you know what that is ????????
    Obviously not ... but I soon found out ... I had been playing The Sash My Father Wore.
    And I also learned that day the story that went with the song.
    My Dad came from those parts; his home place being in County Monaghan, just south of the border with Northern Ireland. He had worked as a Gamekeeper for many years since in the very area where the Battle of the Boyne had taken place. He knew the story from his own perspective and saved no words in relaying it to me. The northern part of Co. Monaghan (nearest to the border) had a large Protestant contingent, and smaller versions of the Orange Day marches were also held in other areas south of the border, so this is the sort of environment that my Dad had grown up in.

    To this day, I cannot bear to hear those pipes and drums and all that it signifies.

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The "Glorious Twelfth" in Northern Ireland Empty Re: The "Glorious Twelfth" in Northern Ireland

    Post by Kitkat Fri 13 Jul 2012, 03:04

    Police officers injured during disorder in Ardoyne in north Belfast

    Shots have been fired at police after trouble flared following a Protestant parade in the Catholic Ardoyne area of north Belfast, the PSNI has said.

    No-one was injured as a result of the gunshots, although nine officers have been treated during the disturbance.

    Petrol bombs and bricks have been thrown at police lines by both nationalists and loyalists.

    Police have responded by using water cannons to contain the crowds. Six plastic bullets have been fired.

    Six men have been charged in connection with public order offences in the Broadway area of Belfast.

    There have been two arrests although police expect more to follow.

    Three cars have also been hijacked and two of them pushed at police. At least one of them has been set alight.

    Police are continuing to deal with "significant disorder" in the nationalist Brompton Park and Balhom Road areas in north Belfast.

    A short distance away police were attacked with bricks and bottles thrown by loyalists on the Crumlin Road near the junction with Hesketh Road.

    On the other side of the Ardoyne flashpoint zone at Twaddell Avenue, bricks and bottles were also thrown at police by loyalists.

    The senior police officer in charge of the security operation in north Belfast, Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr urged "individuals and communities" affected to respond to developing events in a "calm and responsible manner".

    "Violence has serious and unwanted consequences for us all and we will robustly investigate all incidents of disorder," he said.

    BBC Northern Ireland reporter, Julian O'Neill witnessed some of the trouble.

    "The smell of smoke hangs heavy in the air as one of three cars hijacked earlier burns in front of a row of police water cannon vehicles," he said.

    "Several petrol bombs have rained down on riot police. I saw one bounce off the Perspex shield of one officer and temporarily engulf two others in flames, but mostly it has been bricks and fireworks.

    "I've also noticed laser pens being aimed in the direction of police lines."

    Some nationalists object to the parade which marks William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

    Earlier, 24 Orange Order marchers completed a parade past the area.

    The trouble broke out after Protestant Orangemen, who are members of north Belfast lodges, walked past a row of shops in the Catholic area.

    A protest by Catholic residents to show their opposition to the Orangemen walking through the area was held along with a parade by the group Greater Ardoyne Residents Coalition (GARC).

    "The Greater Ardoyne Residents Coalition parade was delayed at Estoril Park by agreement due to a public safety issue caused by the significant disorder and a burning vehicle," said ACC Kerr

    "Once this was cleared, the GARC parade continued on to the Crumlin Road.

    Parade ruling

    "Missiles were thrown from both sides as the GARC parade passed the Ardoyne Shop fronts but both the parade and the protest dispersed.

    "Police would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the positive efforts of all those parading, protesting and marshalling on Thursday."

    Earlier, police said the Orange Order parade had passed "peacefully" and "in accordance with the Parades Commission determination".

    The representatives of three Orange lodges, carrying three banners, were escorted by riot police as they walked past Ardoyne.

    The marchers were completing a controversial parade within a deadline set by the Parades Commission.


    North Belfast Orangemen completed a token march past the Ardoyne shops
    There was some shouting from nationalist protestors as the small group of marchers went past.

    Hundreds of loyalists were waiting to welcome them when they had passed the contentious area.

    The marchers had been taken to north Belfast by bus to meet the 16:00 BST deadline.

    Orangemen say it was a peaceful solution to allow them to complete their return parade from the main celebrations to their Orange halls in north Belfast.

    In Londonderry, petrol bombs have been thrown in the Westland Street area and at the city's walls. A car was set alight in Fahan Street.

    Police are advising the public to avoid the Bogside area.

    Meanwhile in the mainly nationalist village of Crumlin, in County Antrim, a Twelfth of July Orange parade complied with a Parades Commission ruling and all lodges except the local ones took an alternative route to a dispersal point.

    Only the nine local district lodges and five bands are taking the full return route back through the village.

    Elsewhere, police in Craigavon advised motorists to avoid the Drumbeg estate area following the hijacking of a bus.

    All bus services between Lurgan and Craigavon were diverted past all estates.

    Six men have been charged in connection with public order offences in the Broadway area of Belfast on Wednesday evening.

    They are due to appear in court on Friday.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18823292

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