Orange Voice in Washington -- Stormont Watch

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Date Posted: Sat, Jun 30 2007, 11:45:45 PDT
Author: Irish Voice newspaper
Subject: Orange Voice in Washington

AOH Invited to D.C. Festival

June 28, 2007

By Cahir O�Doherty

THE controversy that erupted this month over the Smithsonian�s invitation to members of the Orange Order to participate in the Northern Ireland Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. this week shows no sign of abating. The dispute began when Jack Meehan, national president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in the United States, expressed his dismay that no Northern Irish based nationalist groups had been invited to participate in the festival.

In an interview with the Irish Voice on Tuesday, Meehan claimed that articles in the press and representations to the Smithsonian from Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel and Senator Patrick Leahy has resulted in a last minute invitation being extended to the U.S.-based AOH to participate in the festival.

�The Smithsonian called the AOH on Sunday afternoon, giving us just two days to prepare. It�s a classic move on the part of the Smithsonian to back us (the AOH) into a corner. How could we engage in panel discussions with two historians from the Orange Order, both of who hold PhD�s in history and have had two years to prepare their presentations?� said Meehan.

Undaunted by what he calls the last minute nature of the invitation, Meehan is nonetheless resolved to do the best he can. �I have feelers out for several people that I think are capable of engaging the Orange Order in panel discussions � but whether they�re available for discussions at this time I honestly can�t say.�

Meehan underlines that he has no issue with a public discussion of the Orange Order�s history. �What I�m interested in is their public persona with regard to their anti-Irish, anti-Catholic religious oppression. Those are issues I want to bring to the public. The Orange Order are a nasty bunch of people, it�s as simple as that. I don�t think anyone who has any knowledge of their activities is going to dispute it.�

Two of the Orange Order�s main historians, Dr. David Hume, the Order�s director of services, and Dr. Jonathan Mattison, a Grand Lodge archivist, have been invited to detail the history and development of the Order for visitors to the event. Along with the Order�s official delegations, it is believed other Orangemen will also be traveling to Washington to take part in the festival.

In a phone call to the Irish Voice on Monday the press officer for Deputy First Minister of the Northern Irish Assembly Martin McGuinness, confirmed that the AOH have now been invited to participate on the same basis as the Orange Order in the festival.

Asked if the AOH was at placated by the Smithsonian�s recent invitation to include them in the festival lineup, Meehan was unequivocal. �We welcome the fact that they have finally come to the realization that there should be a balanced viewpoint from both sides of the argument, but I believe in my heart of hearts that it�s a case of too little, too late.

�It�s incredible that a bigoted group of people like these are going to be invited to participate in an exhibit to demonstrate the cultural diversity in the north of Ireland today. It�s just insane.�

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Re: Orange Voice in Washington -- Second report, Sat, Jun 30 2007, 12:24:45 PDT