Orange leader pays tribute to Ireland's "dignified welcome" of the Queen

at anyone - an interesting factoid about the Orange March in Donegal is that it passes by the ancestral home of former British Primeminister, Tony Blair. Hazel Corscadden (his mother) was born in this area before moving to Scotland. Blair has spoken many times about his visits to the area to meet his relatives.

@Georgedillon - read my post again. In it, I said "SHE WAS RETURNED UNOPPOSED" because no party would field a candidate to run against her; I do know the history of this actually as I lived through it same as you. @Joycean - Donegal IS in the Republic. It is also one of the nine counties in the Province of Ulster. It is next door to Tyrone, where Stevenson is from. The Orangemen have been marching in Donegal for many years at the same location, without any objection from any locals. @irishphotograph - Orangemen, who are irish citizens and from the Irish Republic march in Demonstrations EVERY YEAR in Northern Ireland. Also, Orangemen from Northern Ireland have been involved in reciprocal cultural exchanges with towns across the Irish Republic. @sirpeter - the catholic church have been doing this for centuries, right under our noses!!

ancavker.It isn't culture to me either.But if you can wrap something unsavory up in religion and culture you can get away with anything.LITERALLY.

barneyjo. That's the problem!! Edward Stevenson thinks he can trample through everyone's back yard a-clanging and a-banging.

sirpeter: Again they can march and do their thing but at then end of the day it is not culture. That is what I take offense at calling it culture.

barneyjo, Donegal is in the Republic, not Northeern Ireland. I can't imagine why Orangemen aree allowed to march there.

Orange Orange WOULD never allow Southerns march across the border in support of Ireland...hypocrites!

barneyjo: She wasn't reelected. There was no election. Because of the deep-rooted corruption of Irish political life, the people were given no opportunity to vote for or against McAleese. It's as if the Democrats connived to return Obama unopposed. I doubt that would go down well in the US.

@sirpeter - for Edward Stevenson, Rossnowlagh is in his back yard. It is after all one of the counties of Ulster is it not? :)

@TiocfaidhArmani - With respect, you are but one voice in all of this. An Uachtaran, Mary McAleese is the de facto "First Citizen" of the State, democratically elected by a majority of the Irish people in the first place, and then returned unopposed for a second term. So, be it Bhanrion Eilis a dho, or Barack Obama, they were received and welcomed by her on behalf of the entire Irish Nation. Whether you were for or against either of the visits counts for nothing, other than in your own head. Thats democracy in action for you, the way its supposed to work!!

Orangeism has no place in Ireland or anywhere else in the 21th century.It is a "culture" born out of evil and it's tradition is marching over their Catholic neighbours.This type of "British culture" I want no part off~~ In July 1795 a Reverend Devine had held a sermon at Drumcree Church to commemorate the "Battle of the Boyne".In his History of Ireland Vol I (published in 1809), the historian Francis Plowden described the events that followed this sermon:[Reverend Devine] so worked up the minds of his audience, that upon retiring from service, on the different roads leading to their respective homes, they gave full scope to the anti-papistical zeal, with which he had inspired them... falling upon every Catholic they met, beating and bruising them without provocation or distinction, breaking the doors and windows of their houses, and actually murdering two unoffending Catholics in a bog. This unprovoked atrocity of the Protestants revived and redoubled religious rancour. The flame spread and threatened a contest of extermination...The Orange Order was founded after an incident known as the "Battle of the Diamond", which happened two months after the Drumcree sermon. It took place on 21 September 1795 near Loughgall, a few miles from Drumcree. It was a clash between Defenders (Catholic) and Peep-o'-Day Boys (Protestant) in which four to thirty (mostly un-armed) Defenders were killed.Does this sound familiar??.Cannibalism was a religious tradition and culture too.Slavery was a tradition as well.These kind of traditions and cultures have no place in 21th century Ireland.But if Edward Stevenson insists let him march in his own back yard.Orangeism was born out of evil and hate and will never have a part to play in Ireland.

Well barneyjo, as a Dublin man I can say she wasn't representing me. Brits Out!

barneyjo! You got it in one: a State Visit!

The Queen was welcomed by an Uachtarán na hÉireann Mary McAleese on behalf of ALL the Irish people; thats the way a state visit is supposed to work!!

He praised the welcome she got... there was no irish citizens in Dublin waving red white and blue flags. Stevenson is nothing but trouble. We may not have waved to the Queen of Britain but we did have our famine commemorations around the country.