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!

This.

There are absolutely no issues with bigotry or racism in England.

A country that's also had the benefit of not being colonised by a then world power, semi "uncolonised" ....and left as one of the world's "deeply divided societies".

And can I say - attacking the OP for stating what she thinks isn’t helpful. Visitors don’t know - it’s like arriving in a city in Europe for a break to visit family and watching people in a band marching around shouting racist remarks and hiding it under a banner of celebrating their culture. She said what she and her husband experienced. She’s allowed. No need to be horrible to her.

I agree with what she has said. She is uneducated in this aspect of NI because she isnt from here. Doesn’t mean she can’t voice her opinion.

She didn’t say there wasn’t bigotry or racism. And when did she say she lived in uk or did I miss something?

That's untrue. My son who is at school in Belfast is studying the troubles currently for one if his GCSE history topics. I took him to Ulster museum to see the display as recommended by his teacher

RTT.

They have them on 12th July in NW ….Liverppol and Southport ive seen them over the years

That is good to hear. Makes it more concerning + bizarre though that DD’s school (also in Belfast, very well known + diverse) chose to exclude that topic

Summertime I disagree. They are supposed to be regulated but then you have bands marching past chapels playing the famine song etc. my understanding was bands doing this would be heavily sanctioned but it would appear not to be the case.

with regards to the OO being a religious organisation- I think that is true of some lodges but others not at all. It’s lovely that yourself and your family enjoy that aspect. My friends dad and brothers are the most kindly people and their lodge promotes respect and tolerance. They are a Ballymena lodge - couldn’t meet nicer people. When I met them her dad got my to repeat my VERY Irish name until he could pronounce it properly. 😂 they to me live their religion

It would be easier if you just told me tbh! 😂😂

A few of the posts above remind me of a Texan acquaintance who was posted to the Glasgow office of his company 80/90s. His colleagues tried various versions of "Which fit di ye kick wi?" before finally realising he genuinely didn't have a clue what they were on about and gave him a desk exactly in the middle of the office, between the two "tribes"

But OP, it's a society still moving out of a recent conflict, one that is very much in living memory and continues to have real lasting consequences for many people.

This isn't Disneyland, designed purely for the enjoyment of visitors. It's a deeply complex community and to expect it to be perfect is daft. Much in the same way if you rocked up in Kosovo or Syria, any sane person would still expect there to be some issues there.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l6dTMndNGOY&pp=ygUZcmVwdWJsaWNhbiBtYXJjaCBiZWxmYXN0IA%3D%3D

Republicans have bands and marches too. Theirs just celebrate the IRA. Lovely wee event to pop along too 🙄

Would they go to their Catholic neighbours funeral if they were friendly with them?

OP you do seem very (wilfully?) naive about NI for someone whose parents are from here.

NI has made massive strides since the GFA as a society - the NI my children are growing up in is very different to the one my DH grew up in. That change has been comprehensive and quick.

That progress is only achieved by a delicate balance, and will not be helped in the slightest by removing the main annual cultural celebration for one side, no matter how unpalatable it may seem to those of us who don't participate.

It will take generations to move past sectarianism in NI, if it ever happens. A society doesn't just pop out of a bloody civil war straight to peace and harmony. It takes hard work and nuance and a lot of compromise, and you don't seem to appreciate that.

NI is fucking fabulous, and should be a lot prouder of itself than it tends to be for all it has achieved in recent years.

Yes, in my experience most absolutely would. They'd go to the wake too.

That’s an awful experience you had. You have been very unlucky in meeting lots of horrible people.

ive gotten a fair bit myself - Feinian scum, Taig, papist etc, was told in one workplace to change my name if I wanted to stay there - that was years ago mind you. It’s just wrong no matter what side it’s on. my Ballymena friends family often ask me how life is with the rebels! I don’t take offence to that as there is none meant.

I want better for my kids though - I want opportunities here and for NI to be attractive to outsiders who will invest and see us for the great people we are and no a few numb nuts in uniforms banging on about how great they are compare to the other side.

You were in Belfast! What did you expect? The peace walls are still up FFS. Most of Belfast has a high predominance of working class people who love either loyalism or Republicanism. I can assume you if you headed to west Belfast at Easter it is much of the same just a different flag.
And believe me- it isn’t going to change any time soon for a myriad of reasons I am too exhausted now to debate.

night all- I can’t find my glasses and have been relying on predictive text so apologies for any typos! - my head is now sore.

Yes, well, you clearly know as little about NI as you do about university, so maybe educate yourself before pronouncing?

OP, like a PP, I’m struggling to understand why this is such a surprise to you, given that you have family in NI whom you clearly visit frequently. Sure, you may not have visited during the rehearsal period of marching season, but surely you’re familiar with the practice? Our NI friends used to come and visit wherever we lived to avoid the 12th.

Just wondering if you seen the news today with your beloved Londoners marching through the streets with Tommy Robinson with the St. George’s flags?

There’s been 52 murders in Scotland for the past year as of 9th of February 2024, 24 murders in NI for the year 22/23 the same as the previous year but in your precious London alone there have been 112 for the same period and 44 from January to May this year alone!!

Lets not forget a lot of this is gang violence related or totally innocent adults and children being caught in the cross fire.

The Old Firm in Scotland between Celtic and Rangers, like other English football teams have their bad seeds but not everyone is like that, the majority can go and have a great time ( not so much now with the ticket allocation between both the clubs ) it’s a select few that ruin it for everyone else. I would never say every person who supports Millwall or Aston Villa are terrible people because that couldn’t be further from the truth.

So before you start going on about Scotland and NI make sure your own metaphorical house isn’t made of glass. London is not the almighty holy land you think it is.

I suspect we just have to pay them no attention and wait for them all to die out. They're disgusting and bigoted and do nothing but spread hate.

@Evanna13 Absolutely would go to the funeral & that works both ways. One thing all the folk of Ireland, Catholic & Protestant do well is death.

That's good to know. I was just curious because somebody earlier said orangemen were banned from Catholic churches.

I was shocked at the number of parades in NI. There are around 3000 each year - the vast majority of which are sectarian. There are some which are non-aligned such as Lord Mayors parades, and increasingly St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by both sides as St. Patrick is the patron saint for whole island. One parade that the bigots on both sides complain about vociferously and want banned is the Pride event.

I think the issue with the pride event is that some of the participants dress in a way that isn’t terribly appropriate for children and it gets peoples backs up.