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[Kilsally]

Orange Order mark United Nations International Day of Peace
http://www.newslette...error_1_3077042
David Hume GOLI, Michael Gallagher who addressed the group in Omagh, Edward Stevenson Grand Master GOLI and Andrew Scott, District Master Omagh

Published on Thursday 22 September 2011 08:30

THE Orange Order marked the United Nations International Day of Peace yesterday with a special programme intended to combat what the institution sees as a republican ‘rewriting’ of the Troubles.

Opinion formers from across the island of Ireland took part in a special tour of Co Tyrone which commemorated the many members of the order who were murdered during the Troubles.

The annual tour, now in its third year, was the brainchild of the order’s director of services, Dr David Hume.

“We think the United Nations International Day of Peace is the ideal date on which to remember our victims,” he said. “Particularly in the Protestant community, this story has not been properly told.

“There are the victims of Teebane, for example, and the 335 members of the Orange Order who were murdered during the Troubles. The majority of them were members of the security forces, although some were civilians.

“Many families of those people are not attached to any victims groups and don’t feel that they have a voice.

“We are very concerned that there is now an attempt to rewrite history with an emphasis on the republican perspective. We are being presented with a history where the security forces are being portrayed as the aggressors who caused the Troubles whereas the reality was very different; they were the ones trying to stop people being bombed and shot.”

Representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the PSNI, the North South Ministerial Council, the Methodist Church and a number of victims’ groups and local councillors were among guests on the tour.

The coach trip, which began in Cookstown, travelled to Omagh where Michael Gallagher, who lost his son in the Omagh bombing, gave a special talk.

In Cookstown District Master Glen Espie, a former member of the UDR, gave a talk on the history of Troubles, relating incidents along the Cookstown to Omagh road, including the Teebane massacre by the IRA in which eight workmen were slaughtered in 1992.

Next on the agenda was a visit to Tullywhisker Orange Hall whose lodge lost six members in terror attacks.

In Castlederg the delegation visited the cemetery, which contained over 20 graves of terrorist victims, a number of whom were Orangemen.

“Now is the time to set down an archive on what Protestants suffered during the Troubles,” Dr Hume said. “Work needs to start now and we see this annual event as one part of a broader programme that must be undertaken.”

He said the Order is currently compiling a film archive of interviews with people telling of their experiences.

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[Kilsally]

Poignant trip as Larne group remembers Troubles victims
http://www.larnetime...ctims_1_3143490

Mandatory Credit: Rowland White Event: UN Day of Peace, Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland Victim's Bus Trip Date: 21st September 2011 Caption: David Hume GOLI, Michael Gallagher who addressed the group in Omagh, Edward Stevenson Grand Master GOLI and Andrew Scott, District Master Omagh

Published on Thursday 13 October 2011 15:33

a GROUP from Larne has taken part in a Grand Orange Lodge UN Day of Peace bus trip to areas particularly badly affected by the Troubles.

The trip covered the districts around Cookstown, Omagh and Castlederg and was organised by local man Dr David Hume, Director of Services of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland.

During the event they heard from the WM of Tullywhisker Border Guards LOL who told how the lodge lost six members. One of them was Ronnie Finlay, who was a cousin of Liz Swann, part of the Larne group.

WM David Brown told those gathered for the UN Day of Peace event how he remembers waving to Kenneth Smyth and his Roman Catholic workmate Daniel McCormick as they drove past him while he and his father put out milk cans for collection in December 1971. Minutes later the pair heard the sound of gunfire along the road where Kenneth had been driving.

Like many in the area, Kenneth Smyth was in the part-time security forces.

The Browns got a legally held weapon and headed off in their car in the direction of the gunfire, but they arrived too late.

Daniel McCormick was dead inside the landrover, Kenneth Smyth was lying on the road. He was just 28 years old and had been married three months before his murder.

Those who were present - including representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the North South Ministerial Council, political parties, the Historical Enquiries Team, Community Relations Council - viewed the plaque in Tullywhisker paying tribute to six members of the lodge murdered by the IRA.

Winston Donnell was the first member of the UDR to be murdered in the Troubles, and died in August 1971, Kenneth Smyth, also UDR, William David Brown, the youngest policeman to be murdered, at just 18 years of age, Brian Russell, a civilian searcher, Ronnie Finlay, a farm labourer who was a former UDR man, and Thomas Harron, one of four UDR soldiers killed when a 600lb bomb was exploded beneath their land rover.

Those present at Tullywhisker also heard of the security measures which the lodge members took during their meetings to prevent attack.