Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Musings

So, we have had the annual Twelfth parades.  Called marches here.  Celebrating when a dutchman came and conquered the Irish for the British Crown.  This means locally that it is a "loyalist" and a "protestant" event.  There are organization and lodges all over that are into this bit of history and like celebrating it. See...N.Ireland is still part of the United Kingdom and loyal to the Crown.

So..they get pipe and drum bands together, and wear pretty sashes and carry large banners through local towns.  This is all known.  They do it every  year.  And every year there are problems.  You see, there is "the other side".  People...sometimes known as "republicans" or "catholics"... don't like the idea of the pretty bands marching through the towns one weekend per year. Or something.

So what's the deal?