A hardline Presbyterian minister hit the headlines a few years ago for insisting that the Orange Order was “not for tourists”.
Decrying efforts by Peter Robinson and other unionist leaders to soften the image of the annual 12th of July commemorations, the Reverend Stephen Dickenson reckoned only a “clown” would consider that the parades made for appropriate tourist fodder.
Robinson, the then-First Minister, had been talking up the “cultural tourism” aspects of the annual Battle of the Boyne celebrations, as the unionist leadership attempted to rebrand the marching season as a family-friendly event.
The Belfast parade was even relaunched as ‘Orangefest’ in 2008 – and there have been a number of attempts to market ‘the 12th’ to overseas tourists in the last decade or so.
Last year, the Orange Order hired its first ever chief executive in an effort to modernise the organisation – and if you visit their website these days, you’ll find pages of information along the theme of ‘educational outreach’ (nestled alongside this picture of Bertie Ahern).
Of course, for many, the 12th of July will forever be associated with Troubles-era standoffs, rioting and sectarian violence – like the tragic events of Drumcree in 1998.
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