First new East Belfast Orange arch in 50 years opens with celebration

The Templemore Avenue structure saw smiles on the faces of hundreds of people when it was officially dedicated, reaching out from Orange brethren to enthusiastic members of the wider community.

As John Dempster of the arch committee told the News Letter: “It’s a loyal order arch, but it’s for the people of east Belfast.”

Sporting artwork emphasising the culture and history of both the Orange Order and the area itself, the metal structure includes a double-arch at its centre as well as special lighting.

John said: “Some are calling it a 3D arch. There aren’t any others of its type nearby; it’s east Belfast, we knew people would want it to be something different.”

The dedication of the arch was timed to happen the day before a huge Somme commemoration parade through east Belfast yesterday, marking the anniversary of the first day of the battle in 1916.

Yesterday Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn laid a wreath in London, while in Belfast Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly laid one at the city hall’s cenotaph. Similar acts of tribute took place across Northern Ireland and GB.

Arches – structures providing a visual representation of the Orange Order’s traditions and commemorations, frequently including the Battle of the Boyne – had largely fallen out of favour in the Belfast area during the final decades of the 20th century, but over the past few years there has been a deliberate attempt to revive them as part of a resurgence and revitalisation of traditional culture.

New ones were recently unveiled on the Shankill and Carrickfergus.

Templemore’s arch is no different. The committee behind it, arising from Ballymacarrett District Lodge, has been beavering away at the project for since July 2023, raising funds and securing legal permissions to get it built.

And it turned out to be a real community effort, with local designers and metalworkers lending their skills to the arch.

“One guy we went to, he turned out to be born and reared on the street and was so happy we were putting up an arch he refused payment,” said John. “That’s been the wonderful thing, the lift it’s given the area.

“We’re often forgotten about in this part of East Belfast, it seems like everything always happens in Ballyhackamore or Belmont and that’s all anyone talks about. But when I got on stage to welcome everyone at the dedication, I was overwhelmed – it was the light on everyone’s faces, the whole crowd.”

Several leading Unionist figures were among that crowd, including DUP leader Gavin Robinson.

Said the East Belfast MP: “The arch is a true community effort, and it marks the restoration of an important cultural tradition.

“People across East Belfast are rightly proud of this new focal point for the Orange tradition and it is a demonstration of a positive, outward-looking culture that is integral to the fabric of Northern Ireland.”