|
Bangor Orangemen have played an important part in preserving
the history of the town through a unique gesture.
Widely reported in the press and on UTV, the Bangor District
LOL unearthed an unusual and redundant banner in their hall
while undertaking an inventory of old banners.
What interested John Ballard and others involved was that
the banner was not Orange, but belonged to an almost forgotten
organisation, the Rechabites. Although the fraternal body
still exists in England, where it was formed in 1835, it has
long since ceased in Northern Ireland, where the first Tent,
or Lodge, was formed in Belfast in 1846.
The banner which the Orangemen in Bangor found belonged to
Bangor Tent 2237 of the organisation and featured the symbols
of the Rechabites on one side and view of Bangor with the
Bangor paddle steamer on the other.
Through discussions involving Bangor District, Schomberg
House, and the Museums Council, it was agreed that the banner
would be given to the care of the North Down Museum Service
on permanent loan from Bangor District LOL. On Tuesday, August
17, a reception was held in Bangor Town Hall to formally hand
over the banner, and Bangor District was joined by the Grand
Master and senior Grand Lodge officers. The Mayor, Councillor
Valerie Kinghan hosted the event.
The presentation resulted in a press statement and considerable
media interest not only in the local newspapers but also in
the News Letter and on Ulster Television. The banner, which
was produced by Bridgetts, of Sandy Row in Belfast, will now
be displayed to good effect in North Down Museum in Bangor,
and Bangor District are to be commended for their efforts
to help preserve what is an unique aspect of Ulster's social
and fraternal history.
The discovery came about as part of Bangor District's plans
to mark the history of their Lodges when the centenary of
the district is marked in 2006.
|
