Intimidation cited as Orangemen postpone their march

The Orange Order has postponed its proposed Dublin march. Intimidation and a lack of political support were cited as reasons by the spokesman for the Dublin/Wicklow Lodge, Mr Ian Cox, yesterday.

The order had proposed to march down Dawson Street on Sunday, May 28th. The last time the order marched in Dublin was on July 12th, 1937, when there were running battles and scuffles on Talbot Street.

This year's march of about 400 Orangemen from across Britain and Northern Ireland would have coincided with the unveiling of a bronze plaque to commemorate the founding of the Grand Lodge of Ireland at 59 Dawson Street on April 9th, 1798. The plaque will still be unveiled and moulded into a paving stone on the street.

Mr Cox said lodge members were "very disappointed" and felt let down by people in the public eye who, he says, failed to support their efforts. A number of the lodge's 37 members had received threatening phone calls and letters, which have been reported to the gardai. Mr Cox said these were being investigated.

There were also financial problems. Because the lodge was refused permission to use St Ann's Church of Ireland church on Dawson Street, it planned to hire the Round Room in the Mansion House at a cost of £6,000. It is understood the lodge was unable to raise this amount, though Mr Cox stressed this was "just one minor factor in the decision to cancel".

The rector of St Ann's, Canon Adrian Empey, refused the use of the church because, he said, to do so would have reinforced the perception that the Church of Ireland was linked to the Orange Order - "which emphatically it is not". Mr Cox said he had hoped the plaque would be "a symbol of Irish society being willing to be inclusive and open. A symbol, too, of respect towards a community that has retained a distinct identity within the Irish State, while always striving to be good neighbours and citizens.

"It is regrettable that those political leaders who actively encouraged us to proceed with our plans for a short parade and religious service have mostly ducked for cover when faced with opposition of a nature that we believed to have been consigned to an old Ireland."

Mr Cox also expressed his sadness that the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Mary Freehill, had sought to distance herself from the event. Speaking last week, she said she supported the Orangemen's right to march but stressed she would not be viewing it.

There was also opposition from a number of traders on Dawson Street. Mr Rory Scanlan, co-owner of We Frame It, wrote to the Garda and Dublin Corporation asking them not to close the street for the march. He called the Orange Order a "supremacist organisation which was set up to keep Catholics in their place".

Said Mr Cox: "We needed people to get up and stand by us. We were prepared for the threats and abuse but, when we lost support from public figures, we felt we had lost our cover. We were left out to dry. It took an awful lot for us to put our heads above the parapet, to hold out the hand of friendship."

Although the Lodge's statement yesterday said the march had been "postponed", Mr Cox said he was pessimistic about it being rescheduled. "Maybe it will happen when there are newer, younger members; maybe in about 20 or 30 years."