30 Comments

• seanomelb | Jul 17, 2012, 08:03 PM EDT

  I smile everyday schon when I read your idiotic dribblings

• Schon | Jul 17, 2012, 11:16 AM EDT

  Deary me, you'd think the poor proddies were the ones breaking the law , whereas it is those poor Romaning Catholics who have traveled far and wide to be offended. Strange there is so much fury when 200 of the local Roman Catholics actually lined the parade route to watch. They must have liked the music, otherwise, they could have sat at home with their soundproof doors and windows closed and they wouldn't have been offended at all. Typical Irishism, "I'll travel miles to be offended and then wreck my community no matter what the cost. I want to chase jobs away 'cause I'm a lazy git." I don't suppose you were there protesting seanomelb. Probably watched the highlights on TV or YouTube. The Orange men were celebrating a victory by King William sponsored by Pope Alexander the VIII against the deposed James II of England, who wasn't king. Now let's see, that means yous must support James! And there's me thinking that you hated the English? And what's wrong with remembering a great victory from only 300 years ago. Anyone celebrate Easter? and that's for a death 2000 years ago. Any Yanks here? You guys celebrate the 4th of July 1776 (US Declaration of Independence for the uninformed). Grow up and get a life you lot. You should be ashamed of the rioting not the parades. And if you like nit picking, it was the Londonderry Defenders for your information. Praise the Lord and pass the ammo, eh seanomelb? ah, go on. Smile.

• citizen69 | Jul 16, 2012, 02:45 PM EDT

  I think people need to remember that there are Catholics AND Protestants that live on this stretch of road. I recommend that people goto Youtube and search for "Ardoyne comparisons" to check out the short video comparing the Orange parade with the Republican parade that happened within 90 mins of each other at Ardoyne. My own opinion is that people have the right to walk but not to deliberately offend... and people have the right to protest but not to cause violence and destroy their own community with rioting.

• Scottmcgowan | Jul 16, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT

  The orange Order is the Klu Klux Klan without robes. They should be held in distain by any right-minded person.

• johnshiel | Jul 16, 2012, 10:04 AM EDT

  why can't the "statutory body" work out a nice marching route through a local city dump?

• IrelandNorth | Jul 16, 2012, 07:38 AM EDT

  Asking certain elements within Orangeism to cease and desist from marching/parading around/past/through Irish Catholic/nationalist/republican areas of NI is like asking dogs not to pee on lamposts. For many Catholics in NI, the PSNI are just the RUC in sheeps clothing, disproportionately representative of their numbers. PSNI cap badge centrepiece is the Saint Patrick's Cross - which neither community in NI recognise, but which may betray HM Govt ambitions. RTE (Revised Telefiche Air-on) is increasingly recognised by politically conscious and historically literate Free Staters as terminally and eccentrically West Brit - in the absence of Govt intevention to curb their occupational narcissism!

• seanomelb | Jul 16, 2012, 12:52 AM EDT

  Just a little bit michaelidaho

• michaelidaho | Jul 15, 2012, 07:00 PM EDT

  Occassio, Two corrections: First, the PSNI Catholic percentage of officers is 29.7%. This is a far cry from the days of the RUC. Second, the PSNI is not also known as the RUC, RIC and ABC specials (sic). The RUC was disbanded after the GFA, the RIC was disbanded at the creation of NI in 1920 and renamed the RUC, and the "Specials" forces were disbanded in 1970. Just as the police in the southern USA have come along way from the days of Bull Conner, so have the police in NI in terms of their respective racial and religious makeups.

• DanOLoingsigh | Jul 15, 2012, 03:20 PM EDT

  occassio - errr, think that would be 'descendants'...

• occassio | Jul 15, 2012, 01:11 PM EDT

  The Orange Order marchers are the philosophical ancestors of the Derry defenders who claimed a mythic victory over the “Papists” in the 1688-89 Siege of Derry, and ever since have been using it as a rallying cry suitable for every political, religious and social situation. Remember, “"No Surrender, No Retreat!”? However, after four hundred years the British Government still hasn’t recognized recompense for the defenders, their efforts and nearly 8,000 lives lost. In, "The Siege of Derry in Ulster Protestant Mythology", author Ian McBride writes that, “Peter Robinson (with the help of the House of Common's researchers) has estimated that the garrison is owed about £25 million pounds, before taking interest into account!” It boggles my mind that at the expense of peace in Ireland (yes, all of Ireland), the Orange Order remains staunchly and obstinately faithful to a government that never has returned the favor. Michaelidaho. Much like the American south where county/state police as a force never represented or protected African-Americans, the PSNI (aka RUC, aka RIC, aka ABC Specals) has never been a force that represents all the people but largely represent and support the unionist, Protestant, majority. About 18% of the force is Catholic with about 40% of the population Catholic. Any corrections to these numbers?

• JimmieM | Jul 15, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT

  These orangies have to be the strangest meanest spirited people on the planet?....So insecure about who they are now they march to celebrate a victory hundreds of years ago?...they them selves had no part in the victory but try to grab credit? cant imagine the orginal victors would be pleased to share honors with these weenies ...they also like to throw rocks at little girls?...where do they come from?

• pilib04 | Jul 14, 2012, 02:12 PM EDT

  seanomelb, there would be some busted heads if what you described took place.

• pilib04 | Jul 14, 2012, 02:11 PM EDT

  Every year this happens. The Contentious parades must come to an end. They only represent a small fraction of the 3500 Orange Order parades and rallies. By eliminating the contentious ones, the bigots could go ahead and revel in their lunacy and no one would be injured, jailed, gassed or beaten. Police would not have to risk their lives or their ethics.

• mamaginnty | Jul 14, 2012, 11:02 AM EDT

  Irish central, come on, show the people the huge bonfires that were getting built weeks before the parade, most over two stories high, and nobody stopped them. Show them the Irish flag stuck at the top of each bonfire waiting to be burned, all built near nationalist/catholic area's, set alight and they party and sing all through the night about burning the catholic people. Then below you get people who know nothing about what goes on saying.." naughty Catholics for losing your temper, get over it " I am disgusted that the national TV stations in the south did not show any of it, and I hope our government leader Kenny has the balls to make a formal complaint about the burning of the Irish flag. Of course there would be hell to pay if even one Union Jack had been burned by the Catholics. The Orange Order has more than doubled in size in the last 5 years, that should tell us something.

• michaelidaho | Jul 13, 2012, 09:27 PM EDT

  Sirpeter I finally watched the video this evening. It was a disgusting display of sectarian triumphalism – an Orange Order band circling a dozen times in front of a Catholic church bellowing out a low-class, vile, sectarian song that is a favorite of Ranger football fans. It was especially nauseating seeing several small children parading with the band. Those particular band members are complete low-lifes. Although, there has been a lot of progress, evidently, the police are still not doing their job in promoting impartiality. They should have been stationed at this Catholic Church and when these idiot, sectarian thugs began circling around singing that vile song (a violation of the Parades Commission guidelines), the police should have moved in and packed the whole lot of them into waiting police vans. No excuses ... the Orange Order should expel this particular local band if they want to maintain what little credibility they have.

• peterson | Jul 13, 2012, 09:11 PM EDT

  Forgive and forget the past. Get over it !

• JimmieM | Jul 13, 2012, 08:57 PM EDT

  The march marred by violence? I thought that what the march was all about? to incite violence....why else have it?

• ProudCanadian | Jul 13, 2012, 07:59 PM EDT

  seanomelb you sure hit the nail right on the head, I only wish that I would have thought of that one. Most people(Americans)don't have a clue what this is all about hence the stupid posts. That was a good one.

• seanomelb | Jul 13, 2012, 06:23 PM EDT

  How would Americans react if a march in memory of Bin Laden past the twin tower site each year. Having a a march is fine but deliberately passing by flashpoints is triumphalism.

• aloistmartin | Jul 13, 2012, 04:57 PM EDT

  Holding On To Yesterday ~

• sirpeter | Jul 13, 2012, 04:46 PM EDT

  Only the ice cream man and his ice cream van can save them now.lol

• sirpeter | Jul 13, 2012, 04:40 PM EDT

  @greensod.No Orange Order march in the Catholic Ardoyne area and you won't get any trouble.~~Riot police with batons, shields, and helmets,accompanied the celebrations through the nationalist area of the city.~~See anything wrong with that.

• ProudCanadian | Jul 13, 2012, 03:53 PM EDT

  @michaelidaho you wouldn't like it if people were marching by every year a rubbing in the fact that they defeated you in a battle and then discriminate against you. I don't condone the violence but I can certainly see why they do it. If people would read the history of Ireland they would know what is going on and not make some stupid posts.

• ProudCanadian | Jul 13, 2012, 03:46 PM EDT

  Why don't these ignorant people quit this stupid we'll rub it in act. Like I have said before I am Protestant but these jerks make me sad to admit it. Get over it and move on you stupid people.

• sirpeter | Jul 13, 2012, 12:19 PM EDT

  michaelidaho.The question you have to ask yourself is why do the Orange Order want to parade through Catholic areas? I suggest you take a look at this article on IC~~ "Bigoted Orange Order should be banned from marching in Dublin -- Anti-Catholic hatred they spout has no place in modern Ireland".In answer to your question I have shown you proof that an individual who appeared to be just filming was attacked by Orangemen during an Orange Order Parade.Can you provide a similar video of someone been attacked by Catholics on the Falls Road? OR in a Catholic area? What you think might happen is not fact.Seeing is believing isn't it? Ask Rodney King.

• greensod | Jul 13, 2012, 12:17 PM EDT

  Acts like this will only lead to bigger trouble.It serves no purpose.

• carrickcourt | Jul 13, 2012, 12:00 PM EDT

  Hey it is the 12th of July what do you expect something different from the same old same old?

• clevelander | Jul 13, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT

  @michaelidaho you state "I fail to see how throwing petrol bombs at your police force is going to solve anything" I find it hard to call them my police force when they watch the orange order break the law and do nothing. I find it hard to call them my police force when they watch innocent people being beat by a mob of orange order organizers and stand by and watch. I find it hard to call them my police force when they grab a international cameraman and erase photos off his camera that shows them beating a innocent women. If that is a police force, you can have them were you live. I don't think they would last 1 month in any reasonable country. Think I'm lying? Check out @sirpeters link and many others like it. Oh ya life is getting better here my A#$.

• michaelidaho | Jul 13, 2012, 09:14 AM EDT

  I am so fed up with each community resorting to violence when they do not get their own way (i.e. Protestant/Unionist; Catholic/Nationalist). There is absolutely no excuse for these Catholic youths running riot because a dozen Orangemen quietly walk past their shops. The Northern Irish Assembly, Parades Commission, and Northern Ireland Police Service are NOW (not the past), for the most part, made up of people from both communities. I can understand why Northern Ireland’s Catholics do not like the Orangemen. However, I fail to see how throwing petrol bombs at your police force is going to solve anything. Sirpeter, do you think an Orangemen would be treated any differently if he unintentionally walked through the Falls Road?

• sirpeter | Jul 13, 2012, 08:49 AM EDT

  You Tube ~~"Catholic Threatened as he watches an Orange Order Parade, New Lodge Area, 12th July 2012".Gee!! I wonder why Catholic Ardoyne don't want them?