IRA slogans on parade route are 'out of order'
Brothers John (left) and Ivan Russell try to shield themselves from the elements in Donegal Bay after taking part in yesterday's Orange parade through Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal.
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Monday July 13 2009
ORANGE Order leaders have been assured that IRA slogans daubed along part of a parade route in Co Donegal did not represent the views of the vast majority of local people.
Several thousand Orangemen took part in their annual parade in Rossnowlagh on Saturday.
Marchers from Togo, Ghana, US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia joined locals at the colourful parade.
And in a historic hands-across-the-community gesture, Donegal Co Council was officially represented at the event for the first time, when county manager Michael McLoone was special guest at a pre-parade lunch. However, republican extremists made their feeling known when they daubed IRA slogans overnight across the main street in the nearby village of Ballintra where a local Orange Lodge held a short march before joining the main Rossnowlagh event.
Road signs were painted in tri-colours and spray-painted messages read "Brits out", "F ... off", and "No marching".
Ballintra is the home village of Donegal County Orange Order Grand Master David Mahon. Mr McLoone assured his hosts at the VIP lunch that the council was pleased to facilitate the Order at a local level as part of its contribution to "working through" the peace process. He said the Ballintra protest did not reflect the thinking of the people or authorities in the Republic.
Mr McLoone's invitation was a direct result of a low-profile campaign by President Mary McAleese's husband Martin to encourage ongoing communication between local authorities and the Orange Order in border counties.
Up to 12,000 supporters took part in or watched the Rossnowlagh march, which ended with a religious service and rally in the sand dunes on the edge of Donegal Bay.
The main speaker, Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland Grand Master Robert Saulter, noted that over the past three years the institution has been reaching out to people who "do not agree with our Protestantism". He paid tribute to the reception leaders of the Order receive when visiting government ministers and other politicians in the Republic.
Carnival
The Irish Government, through the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, recently helped fund a development officer to work on modernising Orange Order property.
Saturday's event attracted Orangemen from across Northern Ireland as well as from Dublin and the border counties of Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan and overseas.
Gardai said there was no trouble at the parade, which was held in "a carnival atmosphere".
- Anita Guidera
