The Orange Institution and the
Ulster Unionist Council
Whenever the Ulster Unionist Council was formed in 1905,
the Orange Institution played a leading role. From that point
Orangemen played a prominent part in unionist politics. However,
in recent years it was clear that, since there was more than
one unionist party, members supported differing political
parties. There was also an ongoing debate within the Ulster
Unionist Party about the links with the Orange Institution.
The culmination of this situation was that the Grand Orange
Lodge of Ireland decided in March 2005 not to have formal
links with the Ulster Unionist Party. Instead the Grand Lodge
has pledged to lobby all unionist parties over issues of concern
to Orange brethren. We hope to maintain good relations with
the main unionist parties and to encourage a greater sense
of unity among our elected politicians.
In this article it is not
our intention to comment on the debate which led to the present
situation, but simply to provide historical information as
to the background of the relationship.
Postcard from the
Home Rule period depicting
Col. Wallace, Sir Edward Carson
and Captain Craig M.P.
The Ulster Unionist Council was constituted formally at a
meeting in the Ulster Hall, Belfast, on March 3, 1905 under
the chairmanship of Colonel James McCalmont, M.P. for East
Antrim and a Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge
of Ireland. The Duke of Abercorn was elected President of
the Council and Dr. T.H. Gibson, B.L. the Secretary.
A preliminary meeting, organised by North Armagh M.P., William
Moore, had been held on December 2, 1904 with the following
resolution passed: "That an Ulster Unionist Council be
formed, and that its objects shall be to form an Ulster union
for bringing into line all local Unionist associations in
the Province of Ulster with a view to consistent and continuous
political action, to act as a further connecting link between
Ulster Unionists and their parliamentary representatives;
to settle in consultation with them the parliamentary policy,
and to be the medium of expressing Ulster Unionist opinion
as current events may from time to time require, and generally
to advance and defend the interests of Ulster Unionism in
the Unionist Party".
The Council consisted of not more than 200 members of which
100 were nominated by local Unionist associations, 50 (25
per cent) were nominated by the Orange Order and not more
than 50 were co-opted as "distinguished Unionists".
A standing committee was established by the Council, with
a third of its memberhsip nominated initially by Colonel Edward
Saunderson, M.P. first leader of the Ulster Unionist Parliamentary
Party at Westminster. Saunderson, of Castle Saunderson, Belturbet,
Co. Cavan, represented the constituency of North Armagh from
1885 until his death in 1906. Bro. Saunderson, whose statue
stands in the centre of Portadown, was a Deputy Grand Master
of Ireland and the Deputy County Grand Master of Cavan. The
remainder of the committee were elected by Council delegates.
This body included leading Orangemen of the day: The Earl
of Erne (Grand Master of Ireland and County Master of Fermanagh);
Colonel Robert H. Wallace, D.L. (Deputy Grand Master), Walter
H.H. Lyons, D.L. (Deputy Grand Master), Edward M. Archdale
(Deputy Grand Master), Sir James Stronge (Deputy Grand Master
and County Master of Armagh) and William J. Allen (Deputy
Grand Master of Armagh).
In 1911 the elected membership of the Ulster Unionist Council
was raised to 370, and included representatives from the Unionist
Clubs and the Apprentice Boys of Derry. In 1918 representatives
of the women's associations were added, bringing the total
membership to 432.
Unionist clubs, formed in 1893 by Viscount Templeton, Castle
Upton, Templepatrick, spread with great rapidity across Ulster
and were in existence even in the southern Irish counties
and on the British mainland. More than 100 clubs existed.
After 1921, Unionist leaders felt it desirable to demonstrate
the unity of all the Protestant people in supporting the link
with Britain, and the composition of the Council changed again,
and by 1925 it had a membership of 508. Each of the 28 divisional
associations sent 10 Unionist and four Orange representatives,
as did associations in Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan. The Queen's
University Unionist Association sent 10, the Apprentice Boys
four and the Ulster Liberal Unionist Association, Unionist
Clubs Ireland, the Ulster Unionist Labour Association and
the Ulster Women's Unionist Council 12 each.
In 1929, when proportional representation for Northern Ireland
parliamentary elections was abolished, representation on the
Council was again re-organised to give six members for each
of the 48 constituency associations and a further six each
for the three counties outside Northern Ireland. The 12 places
previously reserved for the Unionist Clubs, many of which
had been reconstituted as constituency associations, were
given to the Junior Imperial League Divisional Council of
the Ulster Reform Club. The representation of Orange lodges
was provided for separately on a county basis, according to
membership: Belfast 36, Down 20, Antrim 16, Armagh 12, Tyrone
12, Fermanagh 8, Londonderry 8, City of Londonderry 4, Monaghan
4, Cavan 4 and Donegal 4. Total 128. During the period of
the Stormont Parliament (1921-72), the representation on the
Ulster Unionist Council from the loyal orders was as high
as 138 - 122 from the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, 10 from
the Association of Loyal Orangewomen and six from the Apprentice
Boys of Derry.
The vast majority of Unionist M.Ps. during the 51 year period
of the Stormont Parliament were members of the Orange Order.
Of the 95 who never received cabinet rank until 1969, 87 (including
one woman) were members of the Order. The remaining eight
were women and three were elected for the first time in 1969.
Only three members of the cabinet during this period were
not Orangemen and three others who were left the Institution
later. Every Stormont senator during the 1921-68 period was
an Orangeman, except the one woman senator. And of the 56
members of the Westminster parliament in the same period,
all but two (both women) were lodge members. Every Prime Minister
of Northern Ireland during the period 1921-72 was an Orangeman.
An estimated 35 of the 60 Unionist members returned to the
Northern Ireland Assembly in June 1998 are Orange Order members.
Most of them are in the Ulster Unionist Party with a significant
number in the DUP. Of the present 101 member executive of
the Ulster Unionist Party, an estimated 84 members are understood
to have direct or indirect links to the Orange Order. On the
present Ulster Unionist Council, there is a similar Orange
membership percentage.
Quotations:
"I have always said I am an Orangeman first and a politician
and Member of Parliament afterwards".
- Sir James Craig, Prime Minister of Northern
Ireland, in 1934.
"I am delighted to have behind me the great Orange Order"
- John M. Andrews, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, in
1941.
"Indeed, I am proud to be in the (Orange) Order and
those criticising it know nothing about it" - Major James
D. Chichester Clark, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, in
1969.
"The Orange Institution is simply a pressure group which
is concerned to see that the Ulster Unionist Party remains
firm on the Constitution" - the Rev. W. Martin Smyth,
Grand Master of Ireland (1972-1996).
There are a few Orange Brethren who feel that we are exclusively
a religious Order. While I agree that we are mainly a religious
body, the Order has been in the front rank for generations
in preserving our constitutional position. The Orange ritual
lays it down that it is the duty of Orangemen to support and
maintain the laws and constitution. It is fundamentally important
that we should continue to do so, for if we lost our constitutional
position within the United Kingdom "civil and religious
liberty for all" which we are also pledged to support
would be endangered" - John M. Andrews, Grand Master
of Ireland, in 1950.
The Orange hall has traditionally been the meeting place
for the constituency Ulster Unionist associations and branches.
Appendix 1
Under the rules of the Ulster Unionist Council from 1905,
the Orange Order is entitled to representation on the Council
and on the Executive Committee of the Party. All Orange delegates
must also be members of local constituency associations.
Appendix 2
The Rules of the Ulster Unionist Council can only be changed
by consent of two- thirds of its membership.
Appendix 3
"The Orange Order took on a distinctively Unionist flavour
when Home Rule threatened in the 1880s. The effective beginning
of the Ulster Unionist Party was a meeting of seven Orangemen,
elected as M.Ps. at Westminster in 1886". From Northern
Ireland. A Political Diary by W.D. Flackes and Sydney Elliott.
Appendix 4
Resolution from County Armagh Grand Lodge approved by Grand
Lodge of Ireland in December 1921: "Returning thanks
to Sir James Craig and his colleagues for the firm stand they
are making for the liberties of Northern Ireland. That we
are quite unable to believe that any concession on our part
could make Sinn Feiners into loyal men, and we refuse to sell
or surrender our British nationality".
Appendix 5
From Minutes of Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland 1901-1910
Nine Delegates were annually elected from the Grand Orange
Lodge of Ireland to the general committee of the Irish Unionist
Alliance, with three on the Alliance's audit and finance committee.
Appendix 6
Minute from meeting of Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland December
7, 1910: "That the Grand Lodge of Ireland give every
assistance to the Sub-Committee for Practical Purposes, recently
formed by the Ulster Unionist Council".
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