‘Best of Northern Ireland centenary celebrations to come in 2022’: Orange secretary

Grand Lodge grand secretary Mervyn Gibson said that while Covid forced a number of postponements early in the year, many scaled back celebrations took place locally with more to follow.

Early last month the Orange Order announced plans for the rescheduled centennial parade next May, saying it “is anticipated that it will be similar to the Ulster Covenant Centenary Parade” held in 2012 with around 30,000 people involved.

“Several events will be held in the new year, culminating in the centennial parade on Saturday, May 28. That will be the big one from Stormont to the city hall when tens of thousands will take part,” Rev Gibson told the News Letter.

“Covid did suppress things at the beginning of the year, and cause things to be postponed, but the spirit of unionists, and the Orange family on the ground, celebrated in many ways locally.

“We had a great banner parade in Ballymena, we had a massed band parade in Banbridge and we had the parade in Markethill last night (Wednesday).

“Dozens of parties have taken place in Orange halls and community halls across Northern Ireland, and the Ulster-Scots had 100 lambeg drums at Stormont. I think there were about 160 or 170 lambegs,” he said.

“We held a golf competition, a fly fishing competition, and I know that a number of other events have been put off until 2022.

“These are only a few examples. The NI100 committee, operating out of Lurgan, did a great job. They were responsible for the Mini [with the NI centenary livery] and many other events.”

Rev Gibson said the biggest disappointment of the year was the approach taken by the NIO and UK Government.

“They dumbed it down, and didn’t badge things overtly as being NI centenary. It was very disappointing, that when they had the opportunity to show that Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom through the celebrations,

“It was also disappointing that the councils didn’t play their part, failing to put significant funds towards the celebration. So it was a people’s celebration – the unionist family on the ground celebrated, but sadly it wasn’t reciprocated by councils, the [NI] Assembly and the Westminster government.”

During this centenary year, Sinn Fein representatives have prevented a number of events from taking place, including the illumination of Parliament Buildings, and an official commemorative stone in the grounds of Stormont Estate.

Rev Gibson said: “I wouldn’t expect Sinn Fein to celebrate the birth of Northern Ireland... but they have been less than gracious. I would compare that with unionist attitudes towards 1916 commemoration in 2016, and how that wasn’t reciprocated.”

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