Orange Lodge arrives in Southport

12th July 2019

Liverpool’s Provincial Grand Orange Lodge paraded through the resort today to mark the 200th anniversary of the first July 12th Orange Parade, which took place in 1819.

The Orange Order in England is highly prominent in Liverpool. Orange manifestation in Liverpool dates back to at least 1819 when the first parade was held to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, on 12th July 1690. The Order was a significant constituent in the founding of the Liverpool Protestant Party in 1909.

It has also been claimed that 60% of the Order viewed Catholics as IRA sympathisers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15832376

The Christian Fundamentalist Orange Order has tried in recent years to jettison any undesirable image, via promoting a more ‘family-friendly’ presence with events such as Orangefest and creating characters such as Diamond Dan, the superhero Orange Man.

Above: Diamond Dan, the propaganda tool for attracting a new generation to the Order.

However, pandemonium ensued when it was exposed in the middle of the ‘Marching Season’ that Diamond Dan was a repaint of illustrator Dan Bailey’s well-known “Super Guy” character (often used by British computer magazines), and taken without his authorisation.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/orange-order-superhero-dan-in-copyright-row-28442079.html

The Order’s controversial child-evangelisation tool, Diamond Dan, has also provoked outrage in schools elsewhere.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/tv-viewers-shocked-as-orange-order-superhero-seen-on-school-wall-1-2621741

Christian hate and violence

Catholic and Protestant factions have clashed with police etc previously on various occasions.

In Southport itself, the controversial Orange Lodge marches have been traditionally greeted with mixed feelings.

Pat Regan ©

http://pat-regan.blogspot.com/

Last year’s Orange Lodge event…

https://www.otsnews.co.uk/images-2018-orange-lodge-parade-southport/