Good King Billie sure has a lot to answer for these days. More formally known as King William the Third of England (but only the second of Scotland), he reigned as King of England from 1689–1702. He is famous for two things: finally defeating both the Irish and the Scottish, and overthrowing his predecessor King James the Second of England. It was his defeat of the Irish at the battle of the Boyne and his usurpation of James the Second that have left echoes resonating down through the ages to our modern times.
James the Second was a Catholic king in the heavily Protestant country of England who had raised the hackles of his nobility by attempting to reform laws that restricted the rights of Catholics. Fearing for their power, they "invited" William of Orange, a Dutch prince, to invade England and depose James.
Following William's coronation the English parliament passed the legislation that prohibits Catholics from occupying the throne of England, and severely limited their rights. It goes without saying that this didn't sit well with either the followers of King James or Catholics.
Jacobeans (supporters of James in exile), with the support of the King of France, worked endlessly to plot the overthrow of William, including inciting a war between Scotland and England. After some initial triumphs, they ended up being soundly defeated after only a month's worth of battles.
William's legacy as the symbol of Protestant domination over Catholics was cemented at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, in which he defeated a James-led Irish Revolution. Subsequent to the defeat, James was forced to flee Ireland and Britain, ending his threat to William's rule.
It is this legacy that lives on to haunt us, in the form of the Orange Order today. A quasi-political organization that professes to be concerned with the preservation of the Protestant religion and culture, its influence throughout countries of the British commonwealth, former colonies, extended into the highest branches of power.
The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were when the Order was at its most influential. Prime ministers in Canada and other countries were past members of the Orange Lodge and their unofficial "old boys" network allowed them to maintain a vice-like grip upon the world of business in places like Ontario.
By allowing only male members of the Protestant faith, and conducting business deals behind the closed doors of the lodges, they were able to shut out members of other faiths from any real economic power well into the sixties. (Interestingly enough, colour was never a restriction for membership; one only need to look at the number of Mohawks who were members, or even the number of lodges that were in Africa for proof.)
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Article comments
1 - Aidan Maconachy
This crtique of Orangism and the situation in N. Ireland (my home turf), offers a simple understanding for an extremely complex reality.
Much of what you have stated gypsyman is more or less accurate, but the roots of Orangism in N. Ireland run much deeper than it ever did in Canada or elsewhere. The protestant working class areas of cities like Belfast are becoming isolated from the political process - areas like the Shankill in particular. In common with Catholic districts such as the Ardoyne and the Falls Road, a tribalism exists that is steeped in myth and ancient loyalties. Allegience to the Orange Order on the hand and Sinn Fein on the other, come with the territory.
A few years back I watched a 12th of July parade in Toronto, and it was an odd experience for a Belfast boy. There was no passion, no flash, no danger. It was little more than a ceremonial stroll in the park. By contrast the march in Belfast is a psycho-drama that whips up the city. It generates fear and loathing on the one hand and triumphalist pride on the other. It's an urban ritual for the Protestant tribes - a way to bond and reaffirm their power.
On the Catholic side, the Hibernians and other marches maintain the green tradition.
To understand Orangism in N. Ireland you have to live there, because it is a much more visceral experience in Ulster than it ever was, or could be, in Ontario.
To the Canadian who is eminently reasonable, with a knack for compromise, the Scots-Irish brand of Orangism must indeed seem "backward" and perverse. Canadians however have divested themselves of their tribal indentities in an attempt to broker a multicultural society, so they have cut the tie to these ancestoral passions. Orangism and the wearing of the green, has a meaning for many in Ulster that is quasi-magical. These ceremonies generate power and give a sense of worth to working people, both Catholic and Protestant, who in many instances feel disenfranchised and under-valued.
As for your comments about the UVF and the UDA ... these protestant paramilitary outfits have actually been at odds in recent years, with a lot of intercene killing. This conflict mirrors the tensions that exist within the Protestant community in N. Ireland.
The Scots-Irish Protestants of Ulster have been given a bum rap over the years. They have been typecast as bigots and oppressors ... King Billy devotees. The universal disdain for Ulster Protestants and Orangism is somewhat akin to the international condemnation of the white Africaanar elite in apartheid South Africa. While Hollywood glamorizes the IRA and the "Catholic Irish experience", the Sons of William are simply dismissed and caricatured. I think this is a mistake.
It is actually a misreading of history to suggest that the forebears of Ulster Protestants, Scots planters for the most part, "invaded" N. Ireland, or "stole" it. There has long been a movement of celtic peoples between Scotland and Ulster, and when the larger migrations began to happen, it was as natural as people moving from Sligo to the outer reaches of Donegal.
The Protestant Scots who settled in Ulster were tough and extremely hard working, with a work ethic second to none. The indigenous Catholic population simply couldn't compete. Even though a Protestant ascendancy did result in injustices meted out to Catholics, there can be no arguing that the Prods of Ulster built a vigorous industrial society by dint of hard labor and thrifty ambition. They were surrounded by hostile Irish nationalists, and when they looked south they saw in Eire a country that was inimical to everything they stood for. So naturally they evoked the power of the Order and made use of "the boyos" in organizations such as the UVF to maintain their power and control.
As to solutions in N. Ireland, I am dubious that brokering by Westminster and "artificial" political arrangements will ever resolve it. If and when the British presence departs, there could well be a showdown between the hard men on both sides of the divide. Knowing the type of bloke I'm referring to here, it usually requires a fight before they are prepared to settle. Of course I hope that a political solution can be worked out, but I'm skeptical, especially after the Protestant show of firepower we saw on the Shankill over the weekend.
2 - chicago_loyalist
Apart from most of your blog being unbelievable. I need to direct you to search for Loyal Ladies Orange Lodges. The OO has many section including, Junior, Juveniles, Ladies and Male.
3 - bigjohn
William of Orange came to the throne in England, at a time when James 11 was a lapdog to the French. The ambitions of France, to rule Europe, were thwarted by William 111. A great diplomat, and a true soldier King, William's legacy was a great deal more, to every inhabitant of the British Isles, than the author of the above states.
Places like Londonderry, have seen the Protestant population decrease dramatically, as they are petrol bombed out of their houses. The IRA, provo version, may have signed up to a peace agreement, yet arms caches are still discovered in the Republic. Continuity IRA, and Real IRA, certainly have not signed any agreement.
The grim version of the Orange Order, does not reflect the truth. I am an Orangeman in Liverpool, and our Loyalist community is still alive and kicking, as anyone who witnesses the parades will see. In Glasgow, the Big Walk is massive, and involves many thousands of members. To be an Orangeman, is for me a way of living reformation principles in the 21st century. I am very comfortable with that.
James 11 fled to France before the battle of the Boyne was over. The French called him, 'cack cack', because of his cowardice. The legacy of William, was far more than the author of the above fiction states. There is nothing worse than reading biased republican propoganda, disguised as objectivity.
4 - L.UK.E
Agreed anyone who reads that should be aware that it is Republican propoganda. There is very little truly neutral perspective. The best you can hope for is the BBC, who have a good understanding of the situation and history, and report in a vary factual and unbiased manner for the most part.
As much as the Orange Order has kept Loyalism alive, many organisations have done the same for Republicanism. And these have far closer ties with terrorist organisations (as opposed to the UVF and UDA who are paramiltary, targetting known and strongly suspected Republican militants).
The celebrations of the 12th are no more inflammatory than the celebrations of the Easter Rising, and even St Patricks day, which should be about peace and tolerance, has been hijacked by some into a Republican rabble-rousing event.
5 - GLASGOW_ORANGEWOMAN
IT'S SAD YOU HAVE SO MUCH HATRED FOR OUR BELIEFS. YOU HAVE CAME WITH THE FACTS FROM THE MEDIA AND HISTORY BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FACTS FROM A COMMITED CHURCH GOING CHRISTIAN MEMBER OF THE LADIES ORANGE ASSOCIATION, WHO GENUINLY BELIEVES IN PRESERVING THE PROTESTANT RELIGION AND CULTURES, ARE WE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS? ALL OTHER RELIGIONS HAVE THE RIGHT TO SHOW PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF CELEBRATION FOR THEIR RELIGION AND BELIEFS, WE ARE EXACTLY LIKE THEM.
6 - colin rowan
An attempt is beeing made at ethnic cleansing of protestants from Ireland.We will fight to the death against this No Surrender.
7 - Alan D
You make some fair points. The Orange Order and indeed "The Troubles" are mired in over 1000 years of Irish / British / European history indeed even the US / Canada where the Fenians invaded Canada to try and hold it hostage against the British.
However the Orange Order is also a religious and cultural organisation that is often at the heart of rural Ulster and community organisations.
8 - cara
I am not real informative about the Orange Order, but I would like to know if there is any police faction to this organization, or if they search and arrest any persons who have violated any member? I have heard of certain situations in Scotland on this order. I am in the USA, and never been to the UK. I have just read on the internet about the Orange Order, and met someone once, years ago, who had been running from the Orange Order. Seems rather archaic, and just not sure if I believed it, but wanted to ask this.
9 - Stones
'It is actually a misreading of history to suggest that the forebears of Ulster Protestants, Scots planters for the most part, "invaded" N. Ireland, or "stole" it. '
No what is a mis reading is for someone to claim they didn't. The plantation of Ulster occured and no amount of historical whitewashing will ever undo that. Irish catholics were oppressed and usurped in their own land by protestant settlers, the majority of whom came during the plantations, not during natural migration between the islands. To suggest someone moving from scotland to the north of ireland is the same as someone moving from tyrone to sligo is absurd.