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The Orange Order held high level talks with representatives
of the Irish Government today.
A delegation consisting of Grand Orange Lodge officials and
senior Orangemen from the Irish Republicmet with government
officials at the Presidential residence in Dublin. The meeting
was hosted by Martin McAleese, husband of the Irish President.
A spokesman for the Order said that issues of concern including
the situation at the Aughrim battlefield site in County Galway,
which is threatened by private and public development, and
funding for groups that meet in Orange halls in the Republic
were raised.
"We also discussed the development of the interpretative
centre at the Boyne, Ulster-Scots signage, and official recognition
of the Orange tradition in the Irish Republic," said
Grand Master Robert Saulters.
Grand Secretary Drew Nelson said the meeting had allowed
the Order to express at a senior level its concerns in relation
to several issues in the Republic that affected the Orange
tradition including the refusal of funding applications for
seven Orange Halls in Co Donegal.
The delegation requested that consideration be given to establishing
a Border Minorities Fund to assist with confidence-building
measures among the Protestant minority communities in the
border counties of the Republic.
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