Black Institution Members Brought a Beautiful Day to an Ugly End
The organisers of the 2009 July 12 Orange parades in Northern Ireland say they want “Orangefest” to attract spectators from right across the community. This description by a Belfast journalist of an incident at the end of the 1984 summer marching season demonstrates why the initiative must succeed if the annual “loyal order” demonstrations are ever to become a real tourist attraction.
Saturday August 25 1984 was a beautiful day in Belfast.
The city centre was bathed in late afternoon sunshine as my girlfriend and I got off a bus in Bridge Street.
I was still finding my feet as a trainee journalist with a weekly newspaper based on the outskirts of the city.
I wanted to take the following Friday off without having to use a day’s holiday so I had volunteered to provide copy about the annual parade by the County Antrim Chapter of the Royal Black Institution.
This had been held in the small town of Ballyclare which lies approximately 12 miles north west of Belfast and we were on our way back to our flat to freshen up before going out for a meal.
Black Institution One of Northern Ireland’s Three ‘Loyal Orders’
The Black Institution is one of Northern Ireland’s three ‘loyal orders’, the others being the Orange Institution and the Apprentice Boys of Derry.
The biggest Orange parades take place on July 12; the Apprentice Boys march through Derry one month later and the Black Institution holds its main processions on the last Saturday in August.
In effect these are the same as Orange parades. However, individual members of the Institution hold the title ‘Sir Knight’ instead of ‘Brother’ and form preceptories instead of lodges. These are divided into district chapters. The district chapters are members of county chapters.
The ‘last Saturday’ parades consist of preceptory after preceptory marching behind mainly flute and drum bands while displaying flags and banners. During the parades some Sir Knights carry swords and large deacon poles.
As we turned into Castle Place a large number of preceptories from the Belfast Chapter were making their way back through the city centre to the staunchly Protestant and Unionist Shankill Road.
The noise of the drums and flutes was deafening as it bounced off the buildings on each side of the street and the long parade stretched back towards the Albert Clock. We were hot and tired and noticed a group of employees from the city centre branch of Woolworths taking advantage of a large gap in the procession to cross the road.
When the gap drew level with us my girlfriend said:”Let’s nip across.” She hurried towards the other side and I followed.
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