Orange marches belfast

[Pippin24]

I’m visiting Belfast today to see extended family. My dad’s family are from Ireland/n Ireland I try to get over a few times per year. I’m in my aunts house and we had planned a picnic in the garden which has steadily been interrupted by orange bands marching up a down a road not far from her. It’s a terrible noise and apart from the assault to the ears seems entirely pointless- I cannot believe in this day and age this is still happening.

it’s a mixed area faith wise and my aunt is so embarrassed about it. My husband has just arrived back from a walk where he managed to see some of the march and has informed me that there are a shit ton of the marchers drinking - singing anti catholic/Irish songs and generally behaving badly. Surely there are rules around this? Grown men with younger kids marching drunk and causing a disturbance. Culture is one thing - this isn’t it. Rant over!

That's not a good thing! I'm sure certain fascists put on a dandy marching band, but it didn't make their toxic ideology acceptable, just palatable to the masses.

I’ve yet to hear one person say they enjoy attending them so how do they keep going?

Thousands and thousands of people attend the parades (12th July and there are a couple of others). They are big events.

It's also "exported" to Scotland, Canada and the US. They have parades there.

As I was reading this one came down our street in Fife. March seemed to be from Lanarkshire

Wtf is behind the chanting of hateful lyrics etc. no need and not what it supposed be about from what I know of it

No, it's not. But wankers tend to infiltrate all sorts of organisations, and drag the time down.

They are vicious, bigoted scumbags whose dearest wish is to reignite the Troubles. They should have been banned years ago.

They truly are idiots 🤣 I'll never forget the year they were given permission to march in Dublin and it was carnage . They never ever got permission again, they still try every so often though.

surely there is a better way of celebrating/ promoting culture than that?

There are other "cultural" things like museums etc.

But the marches are traditional; I suppose they are derived from the militias etc. that organised themselves and trained (and were accompanied by bands) and were used in the historic conflicts.

No it isn’t! I’m not agreeing with it!! I was replying to OP who said she’d never heard of anyone enjoying it or wanting to attend them…

They originated in Scotland, they were moved over to Northern Ireland during the plantation , they tried several plantations in the south but they never took hold like they did in the north

Surely not all of them mirror the one from today? I can’t imagine any right minded father or mother bringing their child along to an event where such hate was spewed. I’ll bet them American marches aren’t held near Boston 😳. USA is so massively pro- Irish it’s hard to fathom a march such as that being held there

Northern Ireland has people who identify as Northern Irish/British and people who identify as Irish.

So it's not entirely "Irish" people who "have to put up with it".

It's not a good look, for sure, marching around with whiny pipes and hate songs.

Legislating around it would cause problems though, especially now that Westminster seems to have forgotten that it was ever that arsed about the six counties being part of the UK.

I'm not totally sure what you guys had near you today, but generally this is the time of year when the bands come out of the halls they've been practising in all winter, and start marching - in the better weather - to practice for the 12th July parade.

You can't obviously practice marching/playing in a marching band very well in a hall so at some point they have to do practice marches around the streets.

It's pretty much all geared towards the 12th. Although there is another parade around the Apprentice Boys of Derry/Londonderry,, can't remember when that is. Maybe August. It's smaller though

Surely not all of them mirror the one from today?

Sorry I forgot to answer this.

These are local bands ..... Possibly a bit rough, practising informally.n

What they get out, marching & playing behind the Orange Order members (who are usually middle aged) and other similar organisations, it tends to be more formal and respectable. There might be drinking, esp later, but the 12tjbis very much a "March to a field with marquees and have tea and sandwiches" affair.

As a child in the west coast of Scotland I always thought the parades would have floats and horses and things and used to get upset when I wasn't allowed to go and see 😅

USA is so massively pro- Irish it’s hard to fathom a march such as that being held there

True, but due to "Irish" and Scottish protestant/Orange order member etc. folks emigrating to Canada and America, there are "orders" there. There are big marching band traditions there too.

There are actually a few Irish nationalist organisations who march too; the main one I can think of being the Ancient Order of the Hibernians. They used to March in my hometown (Derry/Londonderry), not sure if they still do.

Not on the scale of the 12th of July though.

(And things could get a bit sectarian - in the other direction - at that too).

-There might be drinking, esp later, but the 12tjbis very much a "March to a field with marquees and have tea and sandwiches" affair.

I think it used to be like this but even the OO has admitted it's ant social behaviour and is trying to limit drinking at it. And shorten the route.

It's extremely provocative. Imagine white people marching through a black neighbourhood singing hate filled songs. I think it actually stems from an inferiority complex. I guess they want a reaction. Let them at it.

Wtf is behind the chanting of hateful lyrics etc.

Tribalism and sectarian hatred, which sadly is still very popular with some

Like a couple of ex friends, who when I called a taxi recently told me in all seriousness that I'd got to cancel it because "it was a protestant taxi"

whiny pipes and hate songs

Marching bands are flute, accordion or pipe.

Pipe bands are the least common in NI.

Pipes are quite difficult to play and possibly more difficult to maintain.

Flutes are the cheapest and therefore more common.

The traditional songs are generally not "hate" songs. They are commonly things like "It's a long way to Tipperary" and "The Sash my father wore".

People singing hate songs are the dregs.

I'd say it's always a challenge to keep the ruffian element under control.

A bit like footie matches.

I think she's referring to marches lol

We were in a pub in Scotland this afternoon and a march came past. The noise was terrible and they held up the traffic on the main High Street. They are barbaric and should be stopped. I was angry when I saw the police walking with them.

That’s awful. Protestant taxi ffs 😳. Belfast people have always been so friendly I have found- my DH has always loved coming here -but he’s disillusioned now after what he heard and witnessed earlier. Whether the march was practice or official there were people who brought their children to it and exposed them to hate speech and bigotry. My aunt says she got a knock at the door a few weeks ago asking her to contribute to finding for paint paving stones/12th celebrations. The lady asking was very put out when my elderly aunt politely declined. It’s mixed faith area - quiet with a lovely community - it’s so sad