Molyneaux calls for `a period of silence and reflection'

The former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Lord Molyneaux, has called for "a period of silence and reflection" over Drumcree and other recent events in the North.

Addressing the Royal Black Perceptory gathering in the village of Scarva yesterday, Lord Molyneaux said "there has been far too much comment over recent days. A period of reflection would do us all good." About Drumcree he felt "people need to sit down and think where they are going."

Lord Molyneaux is Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Perceptory, a less political organisation than the Orange Order, but with members who are all also Orangemen. Thousands of people attended the gathering, which takes place annually on the day after the 12th of July celebrations.

No direct public reference was made to either the Orange stand-off at nearby Drumcree or the funerals of the Quinn children in Co Antrim.

Lord Molyneaux recalled Clement Attlee's advice to a loquacious colleague that "a period of silence from you would be welcome". He talked about "the good old days" in the 1930s and before the war when Catholic neighbours used to hold keys to Orange halls and helped to prepare food for Orangemen returning from parades. "It's not impossible to move back to the good old days", he said.

He felt there would be "no disastrous split" in the Orange Order, just that there were "people with a pioneering spirit and such". He praised the Grand Master, Mr Robert Saulters, as a man who had "the right ideas and principles."

He said no one had made reference to the deaths or funerals of the Quinn children during the service as it might add to the distress of the family and because of the Perceptory "not knowing what the situation was. "We could see a different side [to the story of the boys' deaths] emerging in the next few days," he said.

Portadown was not represented at yesterday's gathering as most of its members are still at Drumcree.

Mr Joel Patton of the Spirit of Drumcree group was present, but on the fringes. Apart from attracting the ire of some passing Orangemen following his behaviour at Pomeroy on Tuesday, he was left alone.

It was a family day at Scarva, with tens of thousands of people, many of them elderly and sitting in the shade of great trees. They were waiting for the parade later in the afternoon. The atmosphere was relaxed and festive, with much beer in evidence. A sham fight was staged re-enacting the Battle of the Boyne, with King William in red, King James in green, both on horses, and each leading a token army of about 10, all armed with muskets. William had camped his forces under a walnut tree, still at Scarva, on their way to the Boyne.

Yesterday both forces clashed in the field before Scarvagh House. A final confrontation ended with William holding a sword against a prone James's neck as both smiled for the cameras.

Both armies then posed for pictures. One of James's troops stepped forward to stamp out the smouldering green flag, which prompted one of William's men to remark, "That's what we think of the Garvaghy Road residents." It was the only public reference throughout the day to what was happening in nearby Portadown, and it elicited no verbal response. Just a palpable air of discomfort.