Orange lodges in line for awards

ORANGE lodges and individual Orangemen from Londonderry and Donegal are amongst the nominees for the annual Orange Community Awards, which will be held in Cookstown this Saturday, January 30.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Jan 2010, 10:56 BST
Updated 28th Jan 2010, 10:57 BST

The competition for the best new banner of the year always attracts major interest and this year there are four nominations, including one from the City of Londonderry Grand Orange Lodge.

The front of the City of Londonderry bannerette is an updated version of their original bannerette featuring King William. The back displays their 175th anniversary logo featuring the coat of arms for the City together with the date 1834 and 2009

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Curryfree Glen True Blues LOL 1060 City of Londonderry are also nominated for their bannerette - a traditional design featuring King William at the Boyne to remember the Glorious Revolution and the Bible and Crown to show the lodge's faith in Jesus Christ and loyalty to the Queen.

Thiepval Memorial Convoy LOL 1005 (Co. Donegal) are also in contention. One side of its banner depicts the charge of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at the Somme, where the lodge lost nine members.

The other side shows the lodge returning from its first Twelfth in 1919, led by four pipers.

There will also be awards for the lodge which have seen the biggest percentage and numerical increases in membership.

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Seven lodges will compete for the award of best charity fundraising lodge including Curryfree Glen True Blues LOL 1060 (City of Londonderry) and Newbuildings Victoria LOL 1087 (City of Londonderry).

Community involvement

Five Orangemen are nominated for Individual Community Involvement including Lyle Quigley, Ardinariff Orange Heroes LOL 905 (Co. Londonderry.

Nine Orangemen are nominated for the Special Merit Award including Richard Kincaid, Newbuildings Victoria LOL 1087 (Co. Londonderry) and Maurice McKeegan, Curryfree LOL 1060 (Co. Londonderry).

There are four nominations for the Chaplain's Award for Christian witness to the community: Robert Ernest Greenaway, Derryoghill LOL 3 (Killyman, Co. Tyrone), William Moorehead, Craigywarren LOL 476 (Ballymena), Rev. Nigel Reid, Glentimon LOL 386 (Co. Tyrone).

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There will also be a Youth Development Award and an Orange Standard Award, as well as the Grand Master's Achievement Award.

It is the fifth time the event has been held in Cookstown. Last year it was held in Coleraine and before that in Bessbrook, Carrickfergus and Belfast.

The Director of Services of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Dr. David Hume, said the aim of the Awards was to highlight the community outreach which goes on within the Institution and also recognise the efforts of many brethren within their lodges.

Related topics:Donegal