TRANSPLANTED IRISH INSTITUTIONS - University of Canterbury

12
The Irish Protestants as a group have largely been overlooked. The Irish Catholics
can mainly be located by looking at the Catholic Church in New Zealand. Irish Protestants
were spread across the different Protestant denominations. Once located, many questions
would surface, such as whether they saw themselves in terms of being 'Irish' or 'British' and
to what extent they carried their Old World mind-set into their respective communities and
churches. The only notable Irish Protestant institution was the Loyal Orange Institution.
So far there has been no analysis of its workings, function, and how the institution fitted
into society. Apart from their association with the P.P.A. no one has really attempted to
research the nineteenth century L.O.1. 35 No one would doubt their importance in early
New Zealand society but they have only been seen in terms of political history.
As the
only Irish Protestant institution in New Zealand, it is interesting to enquire about how
important the L.O.1. was as a focal point for Irish Protestant identity.
Involved in the
research of the L.O.1. is the problem of availability of Orange primary sources. Although
the Moores thesis used some holdings of material held at the Orange Hall in Auckland,
there were no such holdings elsewhere. Only recently have minutebooks begun to appear
and these all help to further our knowledge of the L.O.I.
Sectarian conflict may have been covered but again it is only from the basis of a .
few works and generally deals with the P.P.A. and the period immediately before, during
and after World War I.
Reeting references to anti-Catholic lecturers have been made but
with little background material. These speakers are seen by historians as a focus for
sectarian tension yet no research has been attempted. Exactly who were these people, what
were their aims and how did they fare in New Zealand as opposed to other countries they
visited is important in developing an understanding of religious conflict in New Zealand.
The possible approaches to the Irish in New Zealand are more numerous than ever
before. Previous New Zealand history has been dominated by political histories but recent
developments have seen an upsurge in cultural and social histories. One noticeable gap in
our knowledge of the Irish is on single Irish women who came to New Zealand.
Recent
35some background was done by Moores but it was, like Davis' work, focussed on the early twentieth
century.