Free State Government grant to Orange Order

[Gnevin]

The free state is the 26 counties of Ireland not under British Diktat. Sadly its people and government have now willingly assented to British diktat prevailing in the remaining six counties and the same government now finances the worst manifestations of that diktat, namely the bigoted, sectarian and exclusive Orange Order. I can't understand why the Polish community doesn't invite their government to take over  that part of Dublin they live in. After all the freestate government willingly facilitates the British occupation of the six northern counties, and surely wouldn't therefore object to Poland ruling part of Dublin.

Strange can find any information on this state past 1937. Maybe you need a new atlas  You know the soviet union is no more,  Czechoslovakia too

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Question: Is politics an integral part of the Orange Order?  Are they not referred to as a "loyal" order in Northern Ireland.  If I was to loathe Catholics (sorry Catholicism) as much as the next man but was happy as a citizen of the republic or heaven forbid had a nationalist outlook on Northern Ireland politics, where would I stand?

Did/Do the Orange Order not elect members to the UUP?

Have to say I'm always suspicious of the double speak of hating Catholicism, not Catholics or  the old OWC nugget the GAA but not it's members or the good old republican one about "seeing the uniform not the person" so for that reason am uncomfortable about this grant.

/Jim.

[Hardy]

The only Free State that comes to mind is The Orange Free State. Maybe there's the source of the confusion!

Anyway, I agree with those who (in temperate, non-provocative terms, which excludes the originator of this thread) object to the state funding of sectarian bigotry.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Heard Eamon O Cuiv on today fm, when it was put to him that the OO discriminated against women and Catholics he said sure in this changing Ireland they may well change in the future to. They then brought on David Burrows (Grand dragon or something) and asked him if the OO would change any of it's rules - he gave a catagorical NO, nay, never!
The man didn't even have the decency to be grateful for the money, instead came across as if they (OO) were entitled to get it and more, as if it was the States responsibility!! Bigotted cnuts.
As for O Cuiv, he should be ashamed of himself and his dept. pandering to people who believe that he and his "people" should burn in hell for their beliefs!! 

[Zapatista]

The OO are a political group. Not only that but they are Monarchists defending Monarchy Rule in Ireland and trying to create a nonsecular country. To fund them is probably unconstitutional and qualifies as treason. It goes against the very meaning of Republicism. It is essentially a republic funding a Monarchy.  I wonder will they pay money to Communist Party next and implement a Dictatorship.

[Hardy]

Zapatista, that would be called freedom of speech and legitimate political activity and there would be no justification for sanctioning the OO on that basis. The justification lies in their inherent discriminatory, inflammatory and hatred-inciting anti-Catholic sectarianism.

[thejuice]

ah but they must be good for people, you know all that marchin must be good for their health. Dont all those health advisers say a good walk is good for the heart, see they're doing something good for their community (but no-one elses)

[Zapatista]

Zapatista, that would be called freedom of speech and legitimate political activity and there would be no justification for sanctioning the OO on that basis. The justification lies in their inherent discriminatory, inflammatory and hatred-inciting anti-Catholic sectarianism.

So they are at ligitmate political activity. Should the State be funding this? I'm not looking for sanctions, just not to fund them. Freedom ofspeech dosn't cost money.

WTF does this State know about freedom of speech and leigitimate political activity? Not that long ago they silenced Republicans from their TV and Radio and had them locked up and harrased by their Gardai.

[Hardy]

I think you missed my main point.

[Zapatista]

Your right I did. My points still stand tho

[feetofflames]

I think the Government of Ireland and indeed its people need to take a long hard look at itself.  What is it always apologising for?

[Hardy]

Tony Blair apologised for the famine, sure.

[Zapatista]

War Monger Tony Blair? Fair play to him.

[T Fearon]

Many of us in the six counties watched free state governments of various hues, play hardball with Sinn Fein. This ultimately brought positive results, yet the exact opposite in terms of tactics is employed with hardline unionists who are continually pandered to in the hope that they will come round. Even the British Government has leanred the error of their ways in this regard, the reason why Paisley is in government with Sinn Fein is due to the threat of joint authority otherwise.The lesson is plain to see, appeasement doesn't work and its time that shower in Kildare Street realised this.

I doubt if any catholic would be welcomed in any Orange Hall to have a cup of tea even with his or her protestant neighbour. When I was young, our next door neighbour, an englishman and as kind and as gentle a man as you could wish to meet, was actually forced out of the orange order when his son married a catholic

[Gnevin]

Many of us in the six counties watched free state governments of various hues, play hardball with Sinn Fein. This ultimately brought positive results, yet the exact opposite in terms of tactics is employed with hardline unionists who are continually pandered to in the hope that they will come round. Even the British Government has leanred the error of their ways in this regard, the reason why Paisley is in government with Sinn Fein is due to the threat of joint authority otherwise.The lesson is plain to see, appeasement doesn't work and its time that shower in Kildare Street realised this.

I doubt if any catholic would be welcomed in any Orange Hall to have a cup of tea even with his or her protestant neighbour. When I was young, our next door neighbour, an englishman and as kind and as gentle a man as you could wish to meet, was actually forced out of the orange order when his son married a catholic

How do you remember your own name when you spend half your time calling place and teams by made up names