The Irish School of Ecumenics sponsors an annual Summer School on Understanding Loyalism, as The Twelfth is an important part of the Belfast Story.
The seminar is directed by Dr. Gladys Ganiel, as part of her course on Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. I spent today at the Ulster Museum, getting an introduction to some of the history and background on The Twelfth.
The Twelfth (also called Orangemen's Day or, in Belfast, Orangefest) is an annual Protestant celebration on 12 July, which celebrates the victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The Battle of the Boyne was a major victory for the Protestant English over the Catholic Irish, and its celebration and symbolism have greatly affected modern Irish history. That history would boil over in the Twentieth Century, leading to the struggle over Home Rule, the Easter Uprising, the partition of the Island, the declaration of the Republic of Ireland...and the Troubles.
The Belfast Agreement (Irish: Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste) or the Good Friday Agreement (Irish: Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. It established the Northern Ireland Assembly with devolved legislative powers and marked a deescalation of violence in the Troubles. It was signed in Belfast on 10 April 1998 (Good Friday) by the British and Irish governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. On 23 May 1998 the Agreement was endorsed by the voters of Northern Ireland in a referendum. On the same day, voters in the Republic voted separately to change their constitution in line with the Agreement. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was the only large party that opposed the Agreement. The Agreement came into force on 2 December 1999.
