Was this a hate rally?, or what?

culinaryoverlord

So last week, a fellow I will call The Scotsman(because that's what everyone else calls him), has another one of his gatherings at the pub where I cook. I have done a few before this, usually about 40 people for meat and two veg, easy work, and he tips everyone in the kitchen a 20, sweet! This one was different though.

I know a lot of our members are in the U.K., and I am hoping a few of them will ring in to clear up my confusion. I know enough about history to know what an Orange Order, and an Ulster Unionist are. I won't step in that swamp, and if you don't know the history, lets just say it is one of those very complicated things you should never talk about at a bar. It involves the Catholic/Protestant factions in the U.K., and the Orange Orders and Ulster Unionists are on the Protestant side.

Before the dinner, they start putting up flags, Union Jacks, Orange Order/Institute flags, and display a big drum with "Ulster Union, xxxxxxx Chapter" on it. They start playing music on the house stereo, it sounded like something you would sing at a march or rally, or like something for a sports team, U.K. style. Then someone picks up the big drum, straps it on, and a couple of pipers (not bagpipes) line up and they do a few numbers while everyone claps along, some were singing, but I couldn't get the words.

Then they had dinner, got loaded, and went home.

So what the hell happened? Was this just a bunch of U.K. ex pats having a munch and singing songs? Or was this basically an anti Catholic circle jerk? I know the Orange Orders and Ulster Leagues are largely considered 'fraternal organizations' now, but their original intent was to rally people with anti Catholic sentiments.

I don't care either way, not my fight, but if there is one thing I hate it is people moving here and carrying on crap they should have left behind. It happens all the time, people who hold the conflict in their history so close it becomes a part of their cultural identity, and for fear of losing that identity, the grudge is perpetuated along with all the more noble aspects of their culture. Old hate dies hard, and is often disguised as something else.

So were the flags, the drum and the songs just an expression of brotherhood? Or were they the outward manifestations of people carrying on with old traditions of animosity towards Catholics?

C/O
"this can of worms has no cooking instructions"

GoingNowhere

I honestly dont know, was this in Ireland or were they from Ireland? Probably anti-Catholic a bit, but from what you described the meeting wasnt full of hate, more like a gathering of people just keeping their organization together.

culinaryoverlord

GoingNowhere wrote: »

I honestly dont know, was this in Ireland or were they from Ireland? Probably anti-Catholic a bit, but from what you described the meeting wasnt full of hate, more like a gathering of people just keeping their organization together.

Sorry, I should have said I was in Canada, and the people attending were mostly British and Scottish immigrants, most were over 50.

GoingNowhere

Aye then, being that age they were probably people who got involved with the Irish 'troubles' and due to their age wont let go of the past (protestants vs Catholics and Irish independence). I dont quite know much about if Im honest, as I am 20 and alot of the stuff that happened was when Margaret Thatcher was in power. However, if you've ever seen Billy Elliot (great film) you can catch a glimse of what was going on to cause these people you mentioned to still hold on to their old antipathies.