Twelfth 2017: Sinn Fein's arrogance blasted byRev Gibson

Up until Rev Gibson had delivered his platform speech, the main talking points in the seaside town had been the fantastic turn out of spectators who lined the route from Castle Park Avenue to the demonstration field at Valentine Playing Fields, coaxed in no small part by the weather.

Around 50 lodges – representing Newtownards, Holywood, Upper Ards and Bangor Districts – and a similar number of bands took part in the north Down showpiece, which is par for the course, though it appears that the number of people watching the parade was up on recent years.

On the Twelfth of July in 1867 William Johnston of Ballykilbeg marched a peaceful protest from Newtownards to Bangor against the Party Processions Act.

The parade was led by Johnston Memorial LOL 862 to symbolically mark the 150th anniversary while a member of yesterday’s procession was dressed as the firebrand who rid Orangemen of hated Westminster legislation, to the delight of those familiar with the tale .

Rev Gibson, guest speaker at the demonstration field, told those gathered the Irish language posed no threat to Northern Ireland, however a “threat arises when republicans politicise it and want to elevate it to a position that is nether sustainable nor warranted”.

He told how he had received a letter from Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in June inviting the Orange institution to talk with him and the party’s leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill.

Rev Gibson said: “Gerry told in his remarks at a subsequent conference on Irish unity that Sinn Fein want to address the future role of the Orange and its place in an agreed Ireland.

“What arrogance – Sinn Fein want to address our role?”

He continued: “There is no agreed Ireland and there never will be, because the unionist people will never agree to such an entity. We didn’t in 1921, not in 1985 – we will not in 2017, nor in 2057.

“The clue is in the word ‘unionist’. We are unionists.”

Rev Gibson went on to say why the Orange Institution will not be accepting Mr Adams’ invitation.

“Our members – who have met Sinn Fein – have clearly put forward who we are and what we stand for,” he said.

“Unlike those who have to engage with Sinn Fein – we don’t. Meeting Gerry Adams would serve no purpose, other than giving Sinn Fein another veneer to cover their blood-stained past.

“We have 334 reasons not to meet Sinn Fein as our memorial widow testifies to – men and women murdered, many because they served in the security forces fighting the IRA.

“The grief and hurt of the families bereaved would be compounded by such an engagement, as Sinn Fein crave.”

He added: “The context of republican aggression may have changed, the tactics moved from murder to attacking politically our parades and traditions. Words of war have given way to meaningless words of respect, toleration, equality – but the challenge remains. Sinn Fein want a united Ireland and everything they do seeks to advance that goal.

“The Orange Institution stands ready to rebut this challenge to Northern Ireland’s position within the United Kingdom as in days of yore and in recent times.”

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