President condemns sectarian attacks on Orange hall visit
Mary McAleese today used her first official visit to an Orange Order hall to condemn sectarian attacks on such sites.
Mrs McAleese was at the reopening of Brakey Orange Hall in Co Cavan, recently rebuilt after an arson attack.
The President appealed for an end to the targeting of Orange halls and GAA clubs, insisting Ireland should embrace its diverse history.
Mrs McAleese was welcomed by Orange Order County Grand Master for Cavan Henry Latimer, who she praised as a good Orangeman and a good Irishman.
“We are fortunate to have been witnesses to things that seemed very unlikely just a short time ago,” said the President.
“We have seen Ian Paisley sit down as an equal partner in government with Martin McGuinness.
“We have heard him describe former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern as his friend.
“In those events he did more for reconciliation on this island than libraries of PhDs in conflict resolution.”
Mrs McAleese said the current crop of political leaders, and communities across Ireland north and south, should continue to build new relationships.
The President said the signs of change included the fact that the 90th anniversary of the ending of First World War was marked in both parts of Ireland.
She added: “Here this morning, in the presence of Henry Latimer, a good Cavan man, a good Irishman and a good Orangeman, many of these strands come together.
“Perhaps here in Brakey Orange Hall this morning it’s a good time and place to acknowledge how far we have come in the last 10 years, since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and to pledge that the journey of peace-building and peace-making will and must continue.”
But after a spate of sectarian attacks on Orange Order halls and GAA grounds, mostly in the North, the President appealed for the vandalism to end.
“Such acts are a throwback to another time, and we condemn them utterly and unequivocally,” she said.
“The tit-for-tat that is visited on GAA clubs just brings it home to us how utterly wasteful and humanly tragic are these episodes and what a waste of the lives of those who can see no further than such vandalism.
“I invite them all to stop and think how wonderfully transformed all our lives would be if we were all made as welcome in each other’s home as I have been made welcome here.”
The President was greeted by Orange Order members and their families who were drawn from Monaghan and Cavan for the opening of the new hall, set in a rural area outside the village of Bailieborough.
Cavan County Grand Master Mr Latimer praised the President and her husband Martin for the support he said they had given the Order in Ireland.
“Halls like this one we are in today are held very dear by the Orange Family,” he said.
Mr Latimer said Eamon O Cuiv, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, recognised the important role of Orange halls.
The minister provided funding for Cadolemo Ltd, established by Orange Order Lodges in Counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan, to support community-based initiatives in the border region.
The funding over a two-year period has paid for a development officer to work with the various lodges and halls and to support the communities that have used them for generations.
“Given the widespread nature of such activity it demonstrates why when halls are damaged, attacked, destroyed or beyond use for periods of time, the community activity of its related hinterland suffers and is curtailed,” said the County Grand Master.
“Ironically, when such tragedies occur it is a testament to the local community which rely on these facilities that the buildings are often returned to their former use as soon as possible.
“This hall has been rebuilt after an arson attack and efforts are under way, thanks to the support of the government to enhance the facilities in other halls within the border counties.”
He said Orange halls played a vital role in their local communities and hosted a range of events covering everything from youth clubs and religious groups to cookery glasses.
“As a responsible stakeholder in society in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Loyal Orange Institution wants to play its part in improving community relations,” he said.
“We are a people proud of our history, our Faith and our cultural heritage and want to play a part in helping people understand our tradition and why it remains relevant in the modern world.”
