TRANSPLANTED IRISH INSTITUTIONS - University of Canterbury

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Chapter 4. 63 PARADES: A NEW ZEALAND-IRISH EXPERIENCE The Loyal Orange Institution and the Hibernian Society, along with other various ethnic, political, religious or social groups, have celebrated or enacted past events in public places by parades. These affirm the beliefs of the participants and usually commemorate past events or people of significance. They may be thought of as rituals, that is a "rulegoverned activity of a symbolic character that draws the attention of its participants to objects of thought and feeling that they hold to be of special significance. n 1 A parade needs to include both a sense of order by the marchers and the route to be taken during the parade. Its 'symbolic character' encompasses such things as banners, regalia, emblems and colours. Special significance is provided by past events or persons. Two additional factors which can be overlooked when assessing a ritual parade are firstly the impact on the community and secondly the use of music, which could culminate in a banquet or concert. The use of these components will be used to analyze the parades and celebrations of Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants in New Zealand as they marked their days of 'special significance'. Any discussion on the impact of Irish parades in New Zealand also has to be seen in the context of the sectarian conflict that occurred in Ireland. 2 The parade and its celebrations when transferred to the New Zealand scene, brought with it some of the same beliefs and actions that were formed in the Irish situation. The passions were not necessarily as heightened as when the parades occurred in Ireland, as any transfer of cultural beliefs is always conditioned by the situation in another country. At the core of any parade is the attempt to communicate through the associated symbols the beliefs of the participants both as a statement about themselves and to influence those who observe the parade. A hierarchical organization such as the Orange Institution used ritual to communicate power relationships and claims of religious and political ISteven Lukes, 'Political Ritual and Social Integration' Sociology. vol. 9. no.2, May 1975, p. 29\. 2See Chapter 2 for the Irish context.
64 importance.3 The ritual parade expressed these ideas through stylized and ordered marches through the streets of cities or towns. The key to this communication is in its symbolism. The association of orange sashes and banners with William III declared through a nonverbal and dramatic way to the wider community that these marchers were 'Orangemen' celebrating William Ill's triumphs. If a bystander did not know who William III was, he/she would still recognize the use of symbols such as the crown or the Bible. There is a powerful communication of any message that is dramatized by a ritual parade. Long after the parade has finished and is only a distant memory a person might remember the 'sight' of a parade rather than any speeches that would have occurred at a rally. The Hibernians used contrasting images and communicated a different message to that of the Orange Institution when they were involved in St Patrick's Day parades. They involved the whole Catholic community in their parades, which gave the signal that the Hibernians were an integral part of the Catholic community. These parades by the Hibernians and other Catholic groups communicated to the wider community what it meant to be Irish and also that they had their place in society . This idea was highlighted in an editorial in the New Zealand Tablet concerning St Patrick's Day Celebrations- The two most marked features in the character of an Irishman are love for his religion and love for his native land. Even the bitterest enemies of the Irish people admit their patriotism, and centuries of cruel persecution have failed to shake or weaken their fidelity to their Holy Faith. It is probably because the anniversary of Ireland's patron saint affords ample scope for the exercise of both these feelings - the religious and the patriotic - that the celebration of St Patrick's Day has taken such a deep hold everywhere on the hearts of the Irish people. 4 In this editorial comment the 'Irish' are both Roman Catholic and nationalistic. This ignores the Irish Protestant community which was not seen as being 'Irish'. For New Zealand readers Catholic equalled Irish at this time. Yet this editorial went further and offered the equation of Irish = Catholic. Linking Irish Catholicism to St Patrick's Day was a good opportunity to solidify these claims. Thus, St Patrick's Day was a celebration of Irish Catholicism. 3David I. Kertzer, Ritual, Politics and Power, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1988, p. 29. 4New Zealand Tablet, 19 March 1897
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TRANSPLANTED IRISH INSTITUTIONS: OR
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CONTENTS Page Tables Abbreviations
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ii ABBREVIATIONS A.1.H.R. Appendice
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iv ABSTRACT This thesis is a social
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2 Ulster was greatly influenced by
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Cullen had so assiduously nurtured,
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6 family. To further his argument h
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8 migrants. 24 As there was no long
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disruption, and political frustrati
Page 19 and 20: 12 The Irish Protestants as a group
Page 21 and 22: 14 In Chapters 2 and 3 the L.O.I. a
Page 23 and 24: Chapter 2. 16 "WE WILL MAINTAIN": O
Page 25 and 26: 18 organizations. The corporate sen
Page 27 and 28: 20 Even though the Peep O'Day Boys
Page 29 and 30: 22 lodges were responsible to one I
Page 31 and 32: 24 environment and his homeland. Fe
Page 33 and 34: 26 Further changes to the clarity o
Page 35 and 36: 28 The Black lodges were founded in
Page 37 and 38: 30 manner. .,59 The lodge referred
Page 39 and 40: 32 The Orange cause is booming stro
Page 41 and 42: 34 achieved in the United States of
Page 43 and 44: 36 A sense of the numerical presenc
Page 45 and 46: 38 supporters. 85 This episode illu
Page 47 and 48: 40 The Orangemen did indeed assert
Page 49 and 50: 42 required. IOI There was also a D
Page 51 and 52: 44 The L.O.I. and the H.A.C.B.S. we
Page 53 and 54: "Robin Hood and his merrie men."9 T
Page 55 and 56: 48 the avowed aims of the Defenders
Page 57 and 58: 50 have any secret passwords or sig
Page 59 and 60: 52 deputies elected by District Boa
Page 61 and 62: Friend, having exprcssed your willi
Page 63 and 64: 56 New Zealand Tablet in 1873 the H
Page 65 and 66: 58 reinforced the importance of the
Page 67 and 68: 60 The Catholic Church interfered i
Page 69: 62 march alone, (they marched with
Page 73 and 74: 66 North Island which developed the
Page 75 and 76: 68 Orange-Nassau. Orange was a prin
Page 77 and 78: 70 In Auckland on St Patrick's Day,
Page 79 and 80: 72 such as these were part of the a
Page 81 and 82: 74 march through main streets, besi
Page 83 and 84: 76 effective. 31 The Orange Institu
Page 85 and 86: increased sectarian tension between
Page 87 and 88: 80 flow. The Irish were only 3.5% o
Page 89 and 90: again, nativism was prevalent and a
Page 91 and 92: 84 and priestly life. The L.O.I. in
Page 93 and 94: 86 A common theme in these two issu
Page 95 and 96: 88 situation and the married men on
Page 97 and 98: 90 enduring attachment to their pri
Page 99 and 100: total abstinence pledge. Also among
Page 101 and 102: the Presbyterian Church."60 This wa
Page 103 and 104: 96 Master of the Orange Lodge. 69 T
Page 105 and 106: like 'helpless victims adorned for
Page 107 and 108: 100 that he had never been there. C
Page 109 and 110: who managed to gather sizeable audi
Page 111 and 112: 104 1900, 200 pamphlets expOSIng th
Page 113 and 114: 106 of the running sores of bigotry
Page 115 and 116: Protestantism. 108 Shepherd's main
Page 117 and 118: 110 many Protestants who had Cathol
Page 119 and 120: 112 was given full attention by the
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New Zealand also had its own instit
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116 The L.O.1. did not have much su
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118 Anti-Catholicism was transporte
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120 the pursuit of solidarity withi
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C Rituals and Laws of the L.O.I. an
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! 124 CHINIQUY, Charles, Forty Year
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126 CRONIN, Sean, Irish Nationalism
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128 KEALEY, Gregory S., Toronto Wor
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130 B Articles. ANON., 'Hibernian C
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133 MOORES, Harold S., 'The Rise of
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