Stormont Milan Railway Station
OK, guess who said this: “The Unionist community must make it resoundingly clear that no amount of funding for Ulster-Sots, bands or other cultural activities can be accepted in lieu of this [Irish language] act. Quite simply put, there is no price at which the Irish language act can be allowed into law,,, Concessions for Ulster-Scots do not hide the fact that an Irish language act will have far-ranging ramifications across civil society. None of which will have a positive impact on the nation”.
Jamie Bryson? Willie Frazier? A red-white-and-blue kerbstone suddenly granted the powers of speech? No, no and no. That was Loyal Orange Lodge 1845 at Queen’s University, three days ago. The Lodge is made up of Queen’s University students, staff and alumni. So that’s the voice of intelligent, educated unionism. Orange unionism, that is.
The Lodge is partly right. An Irish language act would have an impact.It would tell Irish language speakers and supporters that this state recognizes their language and culture, and would mean that sweaty-faced men thumping massive drums 4,000 times a year are no longer seen as the sole cultural expression in our NEN.
But wouldn’t an Irish language act create an unhealthy imbalance between the cultural status of nationalist/republicans and that of unionists? Well, you heard the voice of educated unionism above: nothing you could offer unionism, no amount of money or Ulster-Scots legislation, could make up for the passing of an Irish language act.
“Here – hold on” you may say. “That’s Orangemen talking. There are lots of non-Orange unionists who are still generally concerned that an Irish language act would change the distinctive cultural nature of this state. Aren’t they right when they say that nationalists/republicans are getting all the time and unionists are giving all the time?”
Some do see it that way. The limitations on flying the union flag over Belfast City Hall, the limitations on where Orange marches may be held, the limitations on unionist rule at Stormont – all those look like losses for unionism and gains for nationalism/republicanism. That’s because they are gains for nationalism/republicanism.
However, we need to keep in mind where we’re starting from. As Conor Murphy remarked at Stormont last night when given the “Where’s the concession to unionism?” charge, the Stormont building in which he’s worked for twenty years is unionist to the bone. Even before you get into the building, you’re greeted by the upraised fingers of Edward Carson; and a mile-long straight that leads you to the brutally assertive building at the end of it. The very pillars of the place appear to shout “”No surrender!” No wonder some architectural experts say it’s modeled on Milan railway station, built by Mussolini.
Here’s the truth: it would take at least fifty years for Irish symbols and street-names to catch up with the massively pro-British nature of this state and its ubiquitous trappings.
The agreement which fell apart yesterday was doomed because, we’re told, Arlene Foster couldn’t sell it to her base. But how does she know what her base – all those individuals – were thinking? You need spokespeople to speak for that base. Well, here’s a suggestion: the voice of hard-line unionism was delivered to Arlene through a number of DUP politicians, not least Gregory Campbell and Sammy Wison, and also, of course – do I need to say it? – through the voice of the Orange Order.
The Orange state may no longer flourish as it once did, but it’s making a lot of noise with its death-rattle.
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