Let’s allow the penny to drop – the Orange Order is a hate-filled, racist, and imperialist organization. The Irish state subsidises this monster, and politicians across the spectrum talk about with cuddly words – until people like the gay Fine Gael taoiseach Leo Varadkar react to their own image being burned on a Ku Klux Klan style bonfire.

It is long before time : the Irish state must cease funding the Orange Order immediately.

This report is from 2014 :

The anti-Catholic Orange Order has received almost $2.6 million dollars from the Irish government since 2012, new figures show.

The money was dispensed by the Irish government under programs to help the peace process.

The hard-line Protestant institution drew the money down from European funds paid into by the Irish government.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly stated, “Some €5,646,138 in funding has been allocated by the SEUPB (The European body) to projects involving the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland/related body under PEACE III.

“Of this, my Department has contributed funding of €2,047,289 (representing 36.3% of the total allocation); led programs that received over €2 million from the Department of Environment since 2012, new figures have revealed.”

“The Special EU programs Body (SEUPB) manages, inter alia, cross-border European Union Structural Funds in Northern Ireland, including programs under the PEACE III initiative.”

https://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/irish-government-says-it-has-given-26-million-to-orange-order

Readers may wish to join the discussion, supplying more up-to-date information.

This is an Irish Times News report, July 13 2023 :

PSNI investigate hate crimes after bonfire complaints

Sinn Féin reports sectarian and sexual graffiti on poster of Belfast councillor

FREYA McCLEMENTS Northern Editor

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is investigating “a number of complaints” about material placed on bonfires, which are being treated as hate crimes.Bobby Singleton, assistant chief constable for local policing, said the complaints related to “election posters, flags and other offensive material” and in each case the police had “gathered evidence and have commenced investigations”.

Among the incidents being examined is the placing of an effigy of Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill on a bonfire in the Eastvale area of Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

The effigy, along with flags including Irish Tricolours, appeared on the pyre on Tuesday evening before it was set on fire to mark the eve of July 12th.

In a post on social media, Ms O’Neill said “those attempting to cause offence with effigies etc should catch themselves on and join the rest of us in building a better future”.

Condemned

The Grand Secretary of the Orange Order, Rev Mervyn Gibson, told the BBC he had consistently condemned such incidents and they “shouldn’t happen”.

“Bonfires should be celebratory events, not about condemning anyone else’s politics or culture,” he said. “Usually, there are lot more effigies and I think a lot of bonfires didn’t have any effigies on them last night, didn’t have any posters on them so things are improving, but there’s always more room for improvement.”

Sinn Féin said it has reported a number of other incidents to police, including a poster of north Belfast councillor Brónach Anglin being daubed with what the party described as “threatening sectarian messages and vile sexual graffiti”, and an effigy and placard targeting councillor Taylor McGrann, which was placed on a bonfire in Rathcoole.

Pictures of bonfires displaying the names and election posters of politicians from other parties, including Alliance councillor Michael Long and SDLP councillor Gary McKeown, have also been shared on social media.

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said these were “sectarian hate crimes”, describing the graffiti targeting Ms Anglin as “sickening” and “misogynistic”.

“Behaviour like this can never be dressed up as a celebration of culture,” he said.

The incidents have been condemned across the North’s political divide. DUP MLA Deborah Erskine said placing the effigy of Ms O’Neill on the bonfire as “wrong”. Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said it was “vile and hateful” and “achieves absolutely nothing.”

Aontú said yesterday that a car belonging to Sharon Loughran – who ran for the party in May’s council elections in Newry and Mourne – was set on fire in her driveway in the early hours of the morning.

Ms Loughran said she could have been killed and this was a “radical escalation” of previous intimidation. She urged community leaders in Newry to use their influence to “stop this shocking violence on the 12th of July”.

Hate crime

That incident is also being investigated as a hate crime by the PSNI, which has issued an appeal for information and witnesses.

Parades took place in 18 locations across Northern Ireland yesterday as the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland marked the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

Members of the Orange Order take part in demonstrations on July 12th each year to commemorate the victory of the Protestant King William III over the Catholic King James II in 1690, which secured a Protestant line of succession to the British throne.

The largest gathering was in Lurgan, Co Armagh, where more than 150 Orange lodges – encompassing more than 5,000 marchers – took part in the parade, which was watched by thousands of spectators including the Northern Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris.

The longest parade route is traditionally in Belfast, where marchers follow a six-mile route through the city. Other demonstrations also took place in locations including Ballymena, Bangor, Dungannon and Coleraine.

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Our friends at the Cedar Lounge Blog wrestle with the problem here :

Not a good look for the day that is in it…