NI Centenary Parade: LISTEN IN FULL – Grand Master tells massed ranks of Orangemen that opponents want nothing less than ‘erase the history of our people’

Distinguished Guests, Brethren, Sisters, Ladies and Gentlemen,

As Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, I am delighted to welcome you here to Stormont Estate today for our Northern Ireland CentenNIal parade.

We may be a year later than anticipated but we are certainly delighted to be here today.

This parade is the culmination of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland’s events to celebrate Northern Ireland’s CentenNIal year.

It is hard to believe that we began our celebrations way back on 31st December 2020 – New Year’s Eve - welcoming in the CentenNIal year with great fanfare.

Since then we have seen the Orange Family lead the way when it came to events celebrating the centenary. We have had dinners, sporting events, museum exhibitions, concerts and much more.

From its earliest days, Northern Ireland had to face turbulent times and very many challenges. Yet due to the adversity of those years, I believe that we are fully justified in not only commemorating, but proudly celebrating, this anniversary.

Disappointingly but predictably, throughout 2021 there were those who told us that there is nothing to celebrate. They sought to belittle, undermine and erase the history of our people and our country.

Rather than a celebration they repeatedly downplayed the anniversary and all it stood for. Regrettably, even our own UK Government did little - despite much encouragement by this organisation and others - to ensure that the centenary was marked in a fitting way.

Throughout 2021 and into this year the Orange family has been proudly celebrating Northern Ireland.

We are all immensely proud of this place and its achievements in the past ten decades.

We had a wonderful CentenNIal exhibition at the Museum of Orange Heritage in Schomberg House during 2021 which put the spotlight on the past 100 years and the central role of the Orange Institution, particularly throughout the formative years.

There have been many dark days and many challenges from within and without, but 100 years on, Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the United Kingdom. And let me be clear – we intend to be an integral part of the United Kingdom for many years to come!

Despite some very difficult times, many innovators and inventors, soldiers and scholars, world beaters and record breakers are proud to call this place ‘home’.

The Orange Institution has been an integral part of Northern Ireland’s history and many of those considered to be instrumental in its creation were members of our Order.

James Craig, Prime Minister from the creation of Northern Ireland until his death in 1940, was the first of a long line of Orangemen and women who would lead our country. Through two world wars, economic upturns and downturns, agricultural and engineering innovations as well as defending the state from a relentless domestic terror campaign – Orangemen and women, members of all the Loyal Orders who parade beside us today, the bands and wider Orange Family - were to the fore.

It is from this position that I believe the Orange Institution has a key role to play in all spheres of Northern Ireland society today and into the next 100 years.

We are unashamedly a Protestant fraternity committed to the protection of the principles of the Protestant Reformation and the Glorious Revolution.

However, we seek good relations with all and work tirelessly, as shown throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, to have a positive contribution throughout the communities in which we live.

In towns and villages across Northern Ireland the local Orange Hall is often the central community hub. A hive of activity for the wider Orange Family and others, with music, dancing, education classes and other community activities taking place. In the last few months many of our halls were filled with much needed aid to be sent to the people of Ukraine. A fine example of when the cry for help went out, the Orange Family immediately answered.

Indeed, the members of this Institution are no strangers to answering the call of our nation when it comes.

The Orange Institution and Orange Family plays a significant role in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. Our members are steeped in the tradition of Service and Sacrifice something that has been evident for generations and continues to this day.

I am delighted that we are joined by so many of our great friends from across the United Kingdom.

Our place in the Union is of great importance to us and something that we not only cherish, but want to see flourish and develop in the years ahead.

While we are here today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Northern Ireland we do so just a matter of days before the beginning of the Platinum Jubilee Weekend.

As an Institution we are resolute in our loyalty to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her unstinting faith, leadership, dedication and devotion to our nation continues to be an inspiration.

As I stand here before you I am proud to do so as the Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, I am proud of our Institution and its distinguished history and I am proud of Northern Ireland.

I am firmly of the belief that it is our proud history which allows us to be confident and secure in our sense of place, in our identity and in our country.

As we shortly commence our CentenNIal parade let us hold our heads high as we walk down the Newtownards Road and step out confidently as we look forward together to the next 100 years.

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