THE ORANGE Order last night revealed the name of the organisation's new superhero - Diamond Dan, the Orangeman
First unveiled last November, the cartoon hero was the subject of a flurry of media attention, and a competition was launched to provide him with a name. The winning moniker - the idea of Steven Mitchell, a primary school pupil from Lisburn, Co Antrim - was chosen from 120 entries, including other suggestions like Sash Gordon and the Boyne Wonder.
At a launch party last night in the order's headquarters in Belfast, director of services of the Grand Lodge, David Hume, explained the significance of the colourful figure's name.
"The name Diamond Dan has resonance going back more than 200 years to the formation of the institution at the Diamond, Loughall, in 1795," he said.
"Dan Winter was one of the founding fathers of the order. It will raise questions which we can answer as part of our education outreach and explanation of our history." With membership falling at a rate of about 1,000 people per year, the mascot was designed to revamp the image of the Orange Order, ridding it of its reputation for bigotry and making it more appealing to young people.
Mr Hume said he hoped Dan might make the organisation appear "less stuffy". Although Dan wears an orange collarette, and sports a fetching suit of purple and orange, he has discarded the bowler hat, white gloves and umbrella that have become so synonymous with the traditional Orangeman.
Orange Order education officer David Scott sees unlimited potential in the character: "The whole idea is really a bit of fun and an attempt to make the Orange Order more appealing to young people."