Orange Order parade banner to murdered UVF man during the 12th July parade

The Orange Order has always stated in the past that they have no connections with any Loyalist paramilitaries. They have also claimed that any criminal will not be accecpted into the order and if they are already in the order, they will be thrown out. This is the point which they have always firmly staed.

But, Republicans have constantly seen known members of the paramilitaries taking part in the Orange march, which naturally increases tensions when they are walking past the Republican Ardoyne Road. That is the norm, but during last weeks 12th July march on the Ardoyne Road, the Orange Order where marching with a UVF banner.

This banner contained the UVF badge and on it, a memorial to a prominent UVF member, Sam Rocket, also during a march in Belfast City Centre, the Order where marching with a banner, to a UFF killer, Joe Bratty and UVF gunman Noel Kinnier. For Noel Kinnier, the Sons of Ulster Flute Band carried his banner.

In order to know the significance of these two memorials their history should be known.

Sam Rocket, was shot dead at his North Belfast home 7 years ago. After his death, there was a week of violence between loyalist factions, which lead to the re-inprisonment of Johnny Adair. It was believed that Rocket was killed by the UFF for revenge as he had been a part of the double murders of Bobby Mahood and a senior UDA figure, Jackie Connor two days earlier.

Joe Bratty was behind the attack on Sean Graham's bookies in 1992, he was then shot dead in July 1994, by the IRA on the Ormeau Road.

Noel Kinnier, died of a hearrt attack in 1996, murdered father of three, Brendan McLaughlin in Feburary 1980. Kinnier's banner was carried a short distance away from the spot where Brenan Mclaughin was murdered.

An Orange Order spokesman has recently said that the Order was working towards removing any paramilitary trappings from Loyalist parades.

Interesting since they have claimed that this behaviour wasn't tolerated inside the Order for many years now.

I am actually not surprised at all, both the Orange Order and those who dealt with the republican movement in Ireland were both involved in this up the thier necks. It is not suprising that the orange order were involved either. Lets hope that they have turned the corner now with this power sharing in Stormount. Dont think they want to go back 10 or 20 years.

I can't abide all that kind of thing myself.

There's far too much of it in our society.

......and much as the OO can rightfully be bashed for doing this in this instance they are far from the only formal organisation in our society which on the one hand claims respectability while on the other engages in highly dubious 'hero worship'.

I suppose if that is all it amounts to then we will just have to learn to live with it.

But I would hope that we can all start to put this kind of thing behind us.

If this is the worst piece of news to come out of Northern Ireland over the 12th peroid then that would be a good thing.....

The 12th was completely peaceful this years for the first time in the past decade...although to be quite honest there was several sinster happenings days before the 12th that largely went unreported , Orange Halls were attacked in several areas by republican arsonists.

All in all I think both communitys have moved on from the bitterness of the past and are enjoying the peace that they have now , a small minority of troublemakers from both sides will always be there...but i dont think they can really derail the political process that is in place now.