Northern Ireland

Academic conference to look at history of Orangeism

An Orange Order march along Donegall Street in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann
An Orange Order march along Donegall Street in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann An Orange Order march along Donegall Street in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann

AN ACADEMIC conference on the history of Orangeism is to be held in Co Armagh next week.

Billed as the first-ever conference focused on Orangeism, the one-day event will include speakers covering topics including the Orange Order and the birth of Northern Ireland, and the Order's history in Co Monaghan.

The event will be held at Sloan's House Museum of Orange Heritage in Loughgall on Saturday, November 25

Organiser Quincey Dougan said the event was "an opportunity to move beyond some of the narrower emotional interpretations of Orangeism by taking a detailed and academic look at its past".

He argued that although the history of Orangeism in Ireland has frequently been controversial, the movement has been relatively benign.

Mr Dougan said Orangeism "has to be looked at holistically in terms of its historiography, ethos, traditions and physical arts".

"This seminar is an attempt to address the relative absence of that approach by inviting academia to contribute to the discussion in a more focused manner and setting," he said.

Speakers will include Dr Daragh Curran, author of 'The Protestant Community in Ulster, 1825-45 – A society in transition', who will examine how the Orange Order survived in Co Donegal in the years following partition.

A panel discussion featuring participants including Iain Carlisle from the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland will look at the past, present and future of Orangeism in the Republic.

The conference will be streamed live via the Facebook page of Sloan's House.

For more information on how to attend the event in person, email qdougan01@qub.ac.uk