Wow. Now I’ve heard it all. And so, maybe, have you. I’m referring to the report that “a group of men” were shown on video singing a song that mocked the murder of Michaela McAreavy, who died on her honeymoon in Mauritius. The singing appeared to take place in an Orange Lodge, since there were flags and Orange Order paintings in the background. Among those involved in the mockery was a coach of Linfield football club. Thoughts of a snake’s belly come to mind.
But let’s be fair: two of the men who can be seen in the video have apologised via a company run, I believe, by Jamie Bryson:
“We offer our sincerest and deepest apology to the Harte and McAreavey families, and indeed to wider society for our actions which whilst fuelled by alcohol, can neither be mitigated or excused in any shape or form.”
Whether one of these two men was the Linfield coach is unclear.
The Orange Order is also full of apologies:
“The behaviour of those involved and their actions have no place in our society and certainly do not reflect the ethos of our organisation.”
Alliance, the DUP, UUP, TUV, SDLP, Sinn Féin have all expressed their disgust at the video. Tom Elliott, Orangeman and former UUP leader, was on Raidio Uladh/Radio Ulster just now, and managed to combine condemnation of the singing with some whataboutery. When asked (twice) if the Orange Order should expel any member who might have been involved, he managed to say everything except “Yes, of course. What a stupid question!”
Some years back, I was on a Raidio Uladh/Radio Ulster discussion programme with unionist politician David McNarry. When I mentioned that I believed the Orange Order to be an anti-Catholic organisation, David went quite red in the face and declared “You have made me very angry!” In response I murmured “Oh dear”, which seemed to make things worse, not better. David sprang to his feet live on air, pointed at me and shouted “You are not an Orangeman! You are a – a nonentity! You are a rebel and I never want to have anything to do with you again!” And ‘strewth, with that he stalked out of the studio.
So I’m left wondering about a number of things:
- Why did Tom Elliott not say these mocking men, if members of the OO, should be expelled immediately?
- Since neither Michaela McAreavy , her father Mickey or her husband John was, to the best of my knowledge, a member of any political party, what was behind the barbarous abuse of the dead woman and her husband?
- Did being caught on video have anything to do with the (sincere) repentance of the two men?
- Is the OO an anti-Catholic organisation?
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