About time we recognised Orangemen
As a county Monaghan Orangeman I welcome the decision by Eamon O Cuiv to give money to help support the Orange Order in the southern border counties.
Since the creation of the Free State in 1922 the descendants of southern Unionists, along with their British/Ulster-Scots/Orange culture, has been tolerated at best and, at worst, there were those who wished to remove all things British.
However, our Constitution talks about cherishing all the children of the nation equally. Therefore, it stands to reason that my Ulster-Scots culture should be treated equally to that of Gaelic culture. My culture is, and should not be less valuable than Gaelic culture.
I am sure that there are those who will talk of the evils of the Orange Order. However, I think the distinction must be made between Orange men south of the border and those north of the border.
Orange men on this side of the border are mostly decent, honest Christian farmers who have very good relations with their Catholic neighbours.
Having said that, there still remains a small destructive minority who would seek to destroy our culture on this side of the border as exemplified by the burning of Drumartin Orange Hall.
The Ulster-Scots community in the Republic was left feeling isolated for decades, as it was hard for people who saw themselves as British and Protestant to integrate into what was a Catholic Gaelic state.
The Irish Government happily funds the gaelic variety of Irish culture and I'm glad to see that it is now going to assist in catering for the Ulster-Scots Irish culture. Our national flag has three stripes, one of which has gone for 86 years unrecognised.
I'm glad that the Government is finally recognising firstly that the orange stripe exists, secondly that it has the right to exist and finally that it is and must be equal to the green stripe.
I am Irish and proud of it, but I have a British heritage and I am proud of that also. Therefore, I welcome the Government recognising that my British heritage makes me no less Irish and that it must be supported so that our small community can keep our British and Irish heritage alive.
- Co Monaghan
