Wednesday 17 March 2010

The Wolfe Tones and Loyalist bands

Inadvertently, Seán Johnston from Derry may have struck a blow for nationalist residents and other who are bothered on a regular basis by the noise and deliberate provocation caused by loyalist bands throughout the summer.

Seán – an accidental martyr – was given a suspended three-month prison sentence and a £250 fine for 'playing Irish rebel music as he passed an Orange parade'. The bold Sean was playing the Wolfe Tones loudly on his car stereo as he drove past an orange parade.

The BBC reports District Judge Barney McElholm as saying that it was a "seriously stupid action", and that "if there was such a thing as "a good time and good place" to play music by the Wolfe Tones, it was not during Orange Order parades".

Now, as everyone knows, everyone is equal before the law – so if it is 'seriously stupid' (and apparently also illegal) to play music associated with one tradition as you pass members of the other tradition, then this bodes ill for the musical offerings of loyalist bands – particularly the 'kick the pope' bands that accompany many Orange marches – as they pass by Catholic Churches, nationalist residential areas, and even places where Catholics and nationalists tend to congregate.

It is unlikely that Mr McElholm's judgement is of sufficient importance to act as a legal precedent, but any other such cases that come before him, at any rate, will presumably be judged in the same way. His colleagues elsewhere in Northern Ireland may take a differing view, but it will only be a matter of time before any inconsistencies make their way up the legal system by way of appeals, until finally Northern Ireland has a judge-made law that will finally silence the worst of the loyalist bands.

6 comments:

New times, New approach said...

I wouldn't attach to much import to that decision. I think Mr. McElholm was expressing a personal preference and affiliation rather than setting legal precedents.

Paddy Canuck said...

"...until finally Northern Ireland has a judge-made law that will finally silence the worst of the loyalist bands."

Or they're forced to give equal time in their repertoires to tunes of The Wolfe Tones. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, folks! :)

Nordie Northsider said...

'Or they're forced to give equal time in their repertoires to tunes of The Wolfe Tones'

Actually Paddy that's not as far fetched as it sounds. The tunes of rebel songs and loyalist songs are often exactly the same or variations of each other. I know a singer who can perform 'Fly the Orange Flag Proudly Over the Hills of Tandragee' or 'Fly the Green Flag Proudly Over the Fields of Glen Swilly' - depending on the audience.

hoboroad said...

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/politics-replaces-violence-but-old-allegiances-remain-14723683.html

hoboroad said...

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/eric-waugh/a-lesson-in-history-for-cameron-unionists-always-do-it-their-way-14723688.html

Anonymous said...

The Orangemen are marching .... to their doom. But they are too stupid to see it.