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Dressed in a Union Jack hat and tie and carrying a shopping bag adorned with images of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Catholic Micheal Potter caused a sensation at the celebrations of the twelfth edition at Brookeborough
. scarves, a drum, two sticks and two thousand and five thousand magnets for the fridge, and many of them relate to the 12th of July.
"I would be a little eccentric, I had to cross the border to get here, but that does not bother me, I would not have missed it for the whole world," says L & # 39; 56-year-old man
He had left his home in Limerick to travel to the small village of Fermanagh to observe the pavilions of the border counties of Leitrim, Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal to take part in the parade.
The Orangemen South accepted the invitation from their counterparts in Northern Ireland to take the lead in what has become an annual tradition.
Families were sitting in cars sharing sandwiches and ice cream, while the kids were laughing while accordion and money bands were bellowing across the street.It was a world away from the problems of Belfast and Derry. in recent days.
"It's like that they're doing things to Fe rmanagh, "laughed Potter. "There would be no problems here and they always make me feel welcome, as well as others from the south."
Potter, whose mother "Anglofied" read Churchill's famous victory speech at his funeral mbad, is tickled by the pageantry and the twelfth color and says that he likes to melt in a crowd: "When in Rome do what they do or words to that effect," he laughs.
"I do not think it should be considered just a Protestant culture, I'm a Catholic and I would not mind becoming an Orangeman, I know many others who would like as well." I have a collar and I'm not not even member of an orange box.This must change. "
Cross-Border Relations
Fermanagh Province Grand Master Stuart Brooker has spent the past five years building stronger relationships between lodges on both sides of the Irish border. He no longer sees visitors from the South as visitors.
"First, we do not do politics in Fermanagh. In the twelfth, we only focus on the religious aspect, because that is what we are talking about. We would consider the border counties as an integral part of the Twelfth
"We consider them to be part of us: our neighbors and friends, brothers and sisters and groups together." We are the Great Orange of Ireland, not the least. Northern Ireland, "said Brooker.
Last Saturday, he joined hundreds of attendees and up to 10,000 spectators at the annual Orange Parade in Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal. a situation that he hopes to change soon.
"Maybe the Orange Institution would be invited to do a parade in Dublin a while. I think it would be a great step forward, if the Southern Orange brothers could scroll down in they have never done this before, so being invited would be a positive gesture, these relationships need to be advanced, "he said.
Nothing will stop cross-border relations between the Orangemen north and south of the border, Brooker said – not even Brexit. "Our great orange tradition will continue even if there is a hard boundary."
Describing the violence in Belfast and Derry as "completely shameful and shameful," Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, who lives near the village, said: "It belongs to no part of our culture. Those who have been involved in it should face all the rigor of the law, "she said.
" It's Hereditary "
Ian Jordan, one of 14 members from the Drumm Lodge to Co Monaghan since adolescence, he has parade every year in Fermanagh as long as he can remember, and many members of his family too.
"C & Is hereditary: there are six generations of Orangemen in my family.It is culture, heritage and it is important to keep it alive for the next generation and this link between all counties.
Mr. Jordan (46) thinks that those who make decisions about Brexit and the future Orangemen
"We have the right to have our culture, our parades, our heritage." Of course, everything the world has the right to have his days, so why can not we have our days out? "We play the tunes of hymns." Joe Morton, Grand Master of the County of Leitrim Orange Lodge, said that he did not even recognize the border when he went to the event every year and feared that Brexit "could make the difference". "Crossing south when it makes the 30-mile journey to its monthly lodge meetings.
Orangeman Mark Trenier of Co Cavan does not agree:" I can not see that change. I hope that this will continue well and that there will be no problem in going to meetings or parades.
"We like to go to the North and meet people. Of course, this is only once a year, "he said.
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