Ballymena Irish Republican Parade

by Anti.-Sectarian Sat Jul 30, 2005 17:37

Where and when is the meeting point for the counter-demonstration?

by Barry Sat Jul 30, 2005 21:32

With the rest of the scumbags outside Harryville chapel , Saturday evening mass .

The parade is commemorating Ballymena protestant William Orr. Whats your problem with that ?

by Brian Purcell Sun Jul 31, 2005 05:15

Perhaps the problem is that had William Orr been walking the streets of Omagh on August 15th 1998 he might have been blown to pieces by a Real IRA/32 CSM bomb.

by Collette Sun Jul 31, 2005 17:07

If you are a Catholic living in Ballymena and vote SF like I do. You expect SF to fight our corner. This is not the case.

Token protests against sectarian parades and hate filled attacks against all non protestants continue day in day out in Ballymena. This town is institutionally racist, sectarian and constitutionally a world apart.

What is your advice and alternative for someone like me living among this hatred dressed up with a suit of military aparatus, clerical collars and GovernmentaL status???

My initial thoughts about Wiliam Orr is that he at least as a presbyterian he could have walked about Ballymena. My next thoughts are thank God for good christian people like him who had the courage of his convictions to endeavour to change injustice against his neighbours. Where are the William Orrs today??? Certainly not in this post so far anyway. Where is the generosity of esteem?

Local Presbyterians handed out roses and cleaned up Harryville Graffitti - more power to them. Ballymena needs more humans like this and I would hope they attend the William Orr Parade. See link below


So once again I ask this poster to forego his political agenda and to genuinely tell those living in Ballymena, what he is offering as an alternative to enhance equality in Ballymena???

by m johnston Mon Aug 01, 2005 00:12

It never ceases to amaze when when someone such as collete esposes peace but votes for a party whose head carried the coffin of the man who killed children in the shankill road fish bar. This shows who sinn fein are supporters of child murderers, coverers and cleaners of murders in Belfasr bars of people from their own community. Supporters and organisers of thugs with baseball bats breaking legs and arms. Thives and gangsters stealing from banks and ruining the very economy they claim to represent, driving away potential inward investment. Should I go on, I am sure I could. What about those abducted from doorsteps, the dissapeared and never seen again, women among them for helping a wounded soldier, in any so called war compassion to the dying is normal, not to sinn fein/IRA. Get this blood sucking parasitic private army out of ireland, because the blood they suck is of their own communities. More? ...............

by Seamus Gallagher - Cullybackwood Mon Aug 01, 2005 05:29

Collette asked for an alternative and ended up being lambasted and blamed for the disappeared, every kneecapping and the killing of Robert Mc Cartney.

Yes she said she voted for Sinn Fein and I detected a smidgeon of criticism for her representation by this party. So she is asking for an alternative to the backwood and backward dominance in Ballymena.

There is an alternative and it is to keep progressive in the face of bigotry dressed up as Ballymena christianity, so called Ballymena democratic politics or the work of the Lord.

But in her case she requires or seeks more William Orrs - more good genuine and religiously devout people from witin the Protestant Unionist community to stand up and be counted. Especially when all wrong is wrong. When all killings are wrong and likewise all discrimination against all human beings is wrong. She is probably longing for the day in Ballymena when Killing or intimidating a Catholic, Gay, Pole, Portuguese, Muslimm or Black is also regarded as wrong by all people in Ballymena and not just some.

by tom eile Mon Aug 01, 2005 14:14

Isn't it chilling , when somebody makes a positive non-sectarian gesture like this , to hear the old bigotted voices from the past coming out with their bile. It's like it was still 1798 and Mr Johnston one of the yeomanry .You can just imagine what the united Irishmen had to put up with.

by Darren Wed Aug 03, 2005 16:42

Good points Tom, William Orr was set up and hanged 8 months before the Rebellion . He refused to accept a brand of Christianity that overlooked Catholics. as children of God.

by Holy Moses Wed Aug 03, 2005 17:16

It certainly is a pity that a non-sectarian meeting has become the springboard for sectarian bellyaching on this thread. It's an even bigger pity that the stupid Christians who have ruined the lives of so many people are still around and still ruining lives.
Orr's crime was not to ask for Catholic rights per se, but to ask that no member of society is excluded. Unfortunately for him - and all the other's trapped in that time-warp - so long as there is religion there at all, there will be sectarianism.
Appealling to common religious denominators will never unite anyone. This march is not a bad move; but it won't cure Ballymena of what ails it.

by Barry Thu Aug 04, 2005 14:57

This parade will be the first mobilisation of republicans in Ballymena since 1798 .

Over the last few years nationalist and republican youths had organised bonfires to commemorate internment . However bonfires are too often the focus for drunkenness, sectarianism and anti social behaviour . A number of independent republicans and members of 32csm approached the local young people and proposed this march as an alternative to the bonfire culture and all the negativity that goes with it .

Willliam Orr is being honoured as a reminder to local youth of the non sectarian principles of genuine republicanism . This march is as much about education as its about Ballymenas young people stating their republican identity in a loyalist stronghold and Ian Paisleys backyard . For generations the towns catholic minority have had to keep their heads down and toe the bigots line . The towns republican youth refuse to stay closeted, browbeaten and silenced the way their parents and grandparents were forced to .

Unsurprisingly loyalists have gone berserk at the news of this mobilisation . Homes and chapels have been attacked and catholic families burnt out of their homes in nearby Ahoghill . Local politician and UVF spokesperson William McCaughey has threatened to recommence the blockade of Harryville chapel (former RUC sergeant McCaughey was a key member of the death squad which murdered dozens of innocents in the murder triangle of the 70s . He was a major player in the slaughter of Dublin Monaghan and the Miami showband . Numerous sectarian atrocities have his murderous fingerprins all over them)

Ian Paisley has demanded the PSNI literally "stamp on" the marchers . His soon to be governmental partners in Sinn Fein have also come out and called for the parade to be abandoned . Sinn Fein have point blank refused to even meet with the march organisers . This is the party which lectures republicans on the need for dialogue and negotiation . They would quite happily sit down with scum like McCaughey and Paisley yet refuse even to speak to local republicans who dont share their pro-Stormont analysis .

The parades commission have announced that the marchers can basically assemble and march only a few metres despite it going through only nationalist parts of the town . Sinn Fein have also approached and warned a number of republican flutebands that if they attend they will be blacklisted from any future republican events .

With loyalists , the British state and Sinn Fein united in opposition to the William Orr commemoration the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have called on republicans to give it their full support . 32CSM stand fully behind the republican youth of Ballymena and their determination to express their republican ideals in the midst of a town reminiscent of 1930s Alabama .

The towns republican youth refuse to be controlled and browbeaten by loyalist bigots and the British state . A young generation of republicans have opted for the militancy of William Orr over the sell out of Gerry Adams which enrages Sinn Fein also . The entire political establishment is now publicly united against genuine republicanism . They are united against Ballymenas republican youth . None of this will be forgotten by those young people , a number of whom are currently in Maghaberry gaol as republican prisoners .
32CSM alone stands united with them . The days of Ballymenas catholic population being invisible , isolated and downtrodden are well and truly over .

by checker Thu Aug 04, 2005 15:17

"WILL be the first mobilisation"

Barry, is the date above (29th July) incorrect?
If so what is the correct date and time?

by Barry Thu Aug 04, 2005 15:30

I think the date above refers to the date of the press release , not the march . I agree it does look a little confusing .
The march will take place on Augut 9th . It will assemble at Fisherwick at 7.30pm .
The IRSP and RSF have given it their full support also . The IRSP will also be sending a band to support the commemoration .

Republicans from Derry , Strabane , Belfast Dublin and south armagh have vowed to travel and show Ballymenas republican youth their full support. Fair play to all of them .

by Friend of William Orr Thu Aug 04, 2005 15:59

OK, I have posted that information as an event.
(Which is probably what should have been done sooner)

by Barry Thu Aug 04, 2005 16:03

cheers boyo.

by Ciaran Fri Aug 05, 2005 15:58

Media spin and press release blitz from SF including personal visits to members' homes in Ballymena is all part of a campaign by SF to scupper this parade.

local SF's grass roots membership support this parade in Ballymena. many SF Orga plan to attend also. None of us want to be caught up in the ego of an SF MLA. We hope the North Antrim SF MLA can rise above petty ego politics and see the bigger picture.

Most Republicans in Ballymena and elsewhere I would assume are asking why sf hasn't organised something like this in Ballymena long before now. What is their alternative???? They don't have one!!! Why is sf refusing to speak with the Parade Organisers??? haven't we seen this one before somewhere??? Orange Order comes to mind.


All republicans, human rights activists and democrats are being asked to support this parade.


August 9th 7-30 Fisherwick Ballymena


see you there.

by Darra Wed Jul 12, 2006 17:30

My main question is that why is it only now that this is happening?
A parade like this should have been set up like this a long time ago.I myself attended this parade on the 09 aug and i have to say that i thought it was run quite well.Althrough we were restricted to the Fiserwick Estate by a heavy police presence i think everybody conducted themselfs in a very good manner.The one point i would like to make is to fault the policing of the night. The P.S.N.I had let up to 300 loyilists right up to the back of the Fiserwick Estate into the showgrounds carpark.The police should have known (they did) that they would try and stop the parade.This followed by bottle and stone throwing over the police line that was seperating us.My point is that if we are going to have another one (which i dont see why not)it should be policed in the right way.