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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
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New Book Focuses On 304 Orangemen Murdered By The IRA Since 1969

9 November 2005

Details of how some of the 300 Orangemen murdered by the IRA since 1969 met their deaths have been collected for the first time in a new book published this week in the run up to Remembrance Sunday.

The details are included in "Battles Beyond the Boyne - Orangemen in the Ranks 1798-2000" edited by Dr David Hume, the Order's Director of Services, with contributions from six Orangemen.

In a chapter entitled "Orangemen in Troubled Times", author Greg Hopkins from Co Antrim, says a total of 304 Orangemen were murdered by the IRA in the past 35 years - 148 civilians and 156 members of the RUC, UDR or the Prison Service. About a quarter of the victims (73) came from Co Tyrone, with Belfast (67) and Co Armagh (66) also suffering a particularly high number of fatalities.

The book goes on to outline the circumstances in which some of the Orangemen were killed - from 80 year-old John Johnston, one of five men murdered in the attack on Tullyvallen Orange Hall in 1975 to George Saunderson the primary school headmaster from Co Fermanagh who was shot dead in front of his staff and pupils in April 1974.

"Orangemen suffered more than most through terrorism", said Dr David Hume. "We estimate that Orange deaths amounted to almost 10 percent of the total number of fatalities attributed to the so called troubles, and I'm sure those who died will be in the minds of many Orangemen and their families as they gather to mark Remembrance Day this week."

Apart from recent conflict, "Battles Beyond the Boyne" (available from the Orange Order's headquarters at Schomberg House in East Belfast; price £5.00) also examines the contribution of Orangemen in military actions from the Indian Mutiny to the Battle of the Somme and the D-Day Landings with contributions from history authors David Cargo and Cecil Kilpatrick, as well as David Scott, Bruce Kidd and Jack Greenald.

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