History of women in Orange Order on show

The exhibition, entitled ‘In the name of the Sisterhood’, is being launched in time for International Women’s Day on Sunday, and will run until the end of May.

The history of women’s Orangeism goes back to before the formal creation of the first women’s lodge in 1800.

This latest temporary exhibition at the Museum of Orange Heritage traces the history of the women’s Orange lodges in Ireland and throughout the world.

It highlights the opposition and support that women have had to have their voices heard and to achieve representation alongside their Orange brethren.

Dr Jonathan Mattison, curator of the Museum of Orange Heritage, said: “Orangewomen are often found leading from the front.

“The first female member of Belfast City Council, in 1917, Julia McMordie, was also the first female high sherriff and one of the first two female members of the Stormont government in 1921.

“The first female MP from Northern Ireland elected to Westminster was also an Orangewoman. Patricia Ford was MP for Strangford from 1953-1955.

“She was followed in 1955 by Patricia McLaughlin, who was elected MP for West Belfast, the first woman from Northern Ireland to win a contested seat.

“It is not just in the field of politics, Orangewomen are represented in other areas of life. They have been authors and poets, artists, doctors, businesswomen, philanthropists, and sportswomen.

“Their membership is taken from all walks of life, from the unknown working-class women who formed early lodges in England and Scotland, to the women of title such as Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill, who hoped to use her influence in the early Home Rule debates.”

Grand Mistress of the Loyal Association of Orangewomen of Ireland, Joan Beggs, said she was looking forward to the exhibition being opened to the public.

“The museum exhibition depicting the history of the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland has been collated and presented by the staff at Schomberg House,” she said.

“May I, on behalf of the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland, thank everyone involved in the production of these displays.

“Sisters and friends have loaned artefacts and supplied information so our history is more complete.

“The association is honoured to be playing an active role in the Orange family by wishing the exhibition every success for the future.”

There are women’s Orange lodges in nine jurisdictions across the globe.

In Ireland, where the movement originated, there are currently 90 women’s lodges.

This exhibition reveals the history of those associations and of some of the women whose ideals forged them.

On display will be items representing women’s lodges around the world.

This exhibition has been produced on pop-up stands and will be available for groups to hire from the beginning of June.

If you would like to hire the exhibition, free of charge, please contact the Museum of Orange Heritage, Belfast, on 028 9070 1122.