SHARING THE ORANGE VISION IN TYRONE
14 February 2008
This month, an European Union funded project aimed at informing and educating the general public about the traditions of Orangeism in rural areas of County Tyrone moves into a new phase.
Tyrone Orange Vision has organised three Evenings of Orange Culture in Tullanisken Church Hall, Newmills, near Dungannon (Wednesday 6 February), Clogher Royal British Legion Hall (Thursday 21 February) and Mountfield Orange Hall in Omagh (Thursday 28 February).
High profile performers like Kyle Hopper and SessionBeat, Josh Cuddy, Robin Kyle and internationally renowned solo piper George Crooks will join a number of local names for these evenings of music and entertainment, which are open to people of all religious and cultural backgrounds.
The Killymoon Flute Band and Desertcreat Scottish Country Dancers are on the bill for the evening in Tullanisken; in Clogher, the local favourites are Jenna Allen, Sollus Highland Lassies and Curlough Accordion Band, while in Omagh, the Mountfield Pipe Band and Linkbox Joe step into the spotlight.
All the evenings begin at 8.00pm. Admission is £5.00 at the door.
Tyrone Orange Vision is a one-year project, which has been awarded £35,090 by the European Union’s Programme for Peace and Reconciliation and is managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the Northern Ireland Rural Development Council. A designated office has been set up in Dungannon Enterprise Centre.
Now at its halfway point, it has been engaged in redressing a number of commonly held misconceptions about the Orange Order and portraying it in a friendly, positive manner through a series of workshops, open days, study visits and cultural events.
Its chairman Ivan Duff acknowledges that it is easy to be nostalgic about the Twelfth celebrations in years gone by, when they were enjoyed and attended by all sections of the community. But in the new political climate, the challenge is to look to the future in a genuine attempt to recreate that spirit and reach out to people of all cultural backgrounds.
“We may be unable to recapture the past,” he says, ‘but we can shape the future. Through this project, we are trying hard to promote the true aspirations of the Orange Order in a positive, community-friendly way.
“There is already evidence that progress towards peace and inclusion is being made through work of this kind, which focuses on shared culture and heritage.”
A wide-ranging programme of workshops has been set up to facilitate discussion on subjects such as the Orange Order in the community, the 12th July celebrations, the Orange Order and its role in reconciliation. Invitations to take part in cross-border visits, the Evenings of Orange Culture, festival training and a one-day conference are being issued across the community.
Project manager Beryl Knox is a former history teacher and learning officer with the National Trust.
“It is the aim of the project to explore the role of the Orange Order in community life and build a wider understanding and respect for cultural diversity”, she says.
“Only by sharing our culture with people of other cultures can we achieve greater mutual understanding and respect. Ignorance is the greatest barrier to respect for cultural diversity.”
Further information contact: Beryl Knox, Project Officer on: beryl@tov2000.co.uk
T: 028 8772 3489 ext 222.