St Patrick’s Day invite to Orange Order ‘still stands’

THE controversial invitation to the Orange Order to take part in Cork’s St Patrick’s Day parade still stands, a festival spokesperson said last night - despite a storm of controversy.

Sinn Féin upped the pressure on the St Patrick’s Day Festival Committee yesterday. “The Orange Order are not welcome in Cork,” Cllr Jonathan O’Brien said. He called on festival organisers to pull the plug on the Orange Order’s involvement.

“I am also asking other public representatives, including the Lord Mayor, to make their position clear, and to publicly reject the prospect of Orange sectarianism being paraded through our city.”

It is understood the invitation was issued from the Cork 2005 office as early as last summer, before the St Patrick’s Day Festival committee was set up.

But a festival spokesperson said they stood by all 67 invitations - 67 groups form the South and 15 from the North, including the West Belfast St Patrick’s Day Festival Committee, have been invited. “We will not comment publicly until the final line-up is confirmed,” she said.

Festival director Dara McClatchie is flying to Belfast this morning to meet the Northern Ireland- based groups. The controversy in Cork is likely to be discussed with the Orange Order. They spoke publicly about the controversy for the first time last night.

“We quite understand the concerns raised. But a lot of misconceptions have been built up about the Order,” a spokesman said.

“Some political parties have ramped those up for political reasons. We’re not idiots. There is no way we’re going to stamp around Cork. It would be a brave Orangeman who would come down and tramp around like that. We would like people to understand Orangeism,” he said.

Their participation is dependent on whether or not they can secure funding. A decision is expected next week. Belfast City Council, which is twinned with Cork City Council, has said it will provide funding.

Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork Paul Colton is out of the country this week. A diocesan spokesperson declined to comment.

An online poll on local radio station 96FM yesterday showed 60% of voters would welcome the Orange Order to Cork.

Meanwhile, Belfast City Council again rejected an application to fund its city’s St Patrick’s Day parade.