ARTICLES
KILCLUNEY
VOLUNTEERS FLUTE BAND: 8/5/00 PRESS
RELEASE RE. NEWRY AND MOURNE DISTRICT COUNCIL
INTRODUCTION
Kilcluney
Volunteers flute band are just one of over 400 Loyalist marching bands in
Northern Ireland. Within this context, over the last 2 years we have endeavoured
to promote this often ignored and maligned element of Ulster/Scots culture. We
have attempted to de-politicise a movement that we believe has been artificially
politicised by various Irish Nationalist political parties and groups wishing to
promote a separate agenda. Kilcluneys primary means of promotion has been the
establishment and regular update of a website. We have also engaged in a number
of events in England, and of course we organise our annual procession in
Markethill each year. This procession has proven over the last few years to be
one of the largest street carnivals in the province, regularly attracting
upwards of 60 bands, from throughout N. Ireland and Scotland, and large crowds(
RUC estimate 5000 spectators attended the 1999 parade).
CASE
BACKGROUND
For our parade in the year 2000, scheduled to
take place on Friday the 2nd of June, a concerted effort was made to make the
procession even larger than usual. One of the premier marching bands in England,
Garston True Blues from Liverpool, agreed to lead the parade, this, along with
assurances from many bands, leads us to believe that this year would see the
largest and most colourful event in Markethill, if not the county, for many
years. In our attempts to promote our millennium year parade, it was agreed at
committee level within the band, that we should use all means at our disposal to
inform ALL sections of the community, local and further afield, about this
event. Emphasising its non-political nature, the procession being an expression
of Ulster-Scots culture, and particularly pointing out the potential of the
parade as a tourist attraction within the district.
SOUTH ARMAGH TOURIST INITIATIVE
The first 2 organisations approached were
Armagh District Council, and Newry and Mourne District Council (through the
forum of the South Armagh Tourist Initiative ). No funding or major promotion
was sought from these 2 groups, merely the addition of our parade to existing
lists of events in each area. After just 1 initial contact the parade was added
to the ‘ Whats on in Armagh’ leaflets. However SATI have refused to add the
event to their listings. This is despite the fact that we have been in contact
with them for over 2 months, and have sent 7 communications during that period (
a number of which had to be resent because they were ignored). Within these
communications we put forward our request, making it quite clear the cultural
nature of the parade, and offering to give any clarification/ answer any
queries.
In return we received 3 mails. The
first of which was merely an acknowledgement (which took 2 mails and 3
weeks), the second maintained that the parade had been added( we maintain it was
not) but was removed after complaints were received. We believe we adequately
answered this query. The third informed us that it would have to go in front of
committee during May. Our event is to take place on the 2nd of June,
and obviously a listing at that late stage would have little purpose. We believe
that these 3 mails were merely stalling tactics on behalf of SATI. We would
especially question the need for a committee to examine our request, does a
committee examine all requests? We
have been informed that it does not. However even if it did, it is questionable
why it has taken 2 months to get to this stage. Almost 80% of events listed by
SATI are of a distinct Irish Nationalist/ Irish Language nature, and we find it
difficult to believe they all receive such scrutiny. It is our contention that
this refusal is a result of either the sectarian attitude of an individual
employee, or a wider scale bias against the Ulster –Scots community within the
council. Accusations that have surfaced many times before.
CONCLUSION
On
the morning of Monday 8th May a representative of Kilcluney
Volunteers attended a pre-arranged meeting with a local solicitor to discuss the
actions of Newry and Mourne District Council. Our legal position has been
discussed , and the band will be deciding whether to proceed with legal action
this week following a committee meeting.. It is particularly regrettable that
SATI have chosen to ignore our recent mails. The individual who dealt with the
KVFB mail was Michelle Boyle, South Armagh Tourism Officer. Attempts to make
contact with Michelle by an individual on our behalf also ignored.
Richard
Carson
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