Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I acknowledge the presence in the House of the British and American ambassadors.

On behalf of my fellow Senators, I am delighted to welcome to the House Mr. Drew Nelson, grand secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, and the accompanying delegation led by the grand master, Mr. Edward Stevenson. Before we begin, I would like to make a few personal remarks.

I have been a public representative in various capacities since 1979. I have many memories from those 33 years of significant events. However, on this historic day, I cannot help but reflect back on what I knew or, maybe more accurately, what I thought I knew about the Orange Order until very recently. In this regard, I am sure I am no different from the other Members of this House.

My own background is typical of many with a rural Irish upbringing. Growing up in Mayo and in the years since, I had no real sense of what the Orange Order was or what it represented. The limited information I had was taken from the media. If I am honest, I must admit that I was not that interested in finding out more about the order. In short, it seemed so far removed and so irrelevant to my life in rural Ireland.

However, I recently travelled with Senator Martin McAleese to Belfast to meet with you. I was received graciously, with great hospitality and courtesy. I was given a tour of Schomberg House and saw at first hand the order's banners and historic artefacts and heard proud and passionate descriptions of the heritage of the order and its members. I left that meeting wondering how to reconcile my previous perceptions of the order with the way I was received, welcomed and treated at the home of the Grand Lodge of Ireland that day in Belfast. It brought home to me the dramatic changes which simple personal contact can bring about and underscores the need for us all to engage with the humanity of each other rather than to rely on perceptions and stereotypes.

Today is a particular milestone for Seanad Éireann and for the Orange Order. Mr. Nelson is the first representative of the Orange Order to speak to the Seanad and it is a mark of progress made in relations between Britain and Ireland, between North and South and between the various traditions on this island for him to accept our invitation to address this House. Seanad Éireann, for its part, is an appropriate forum for this address by Mr. Nelson. It was established in 1922 to represent all the views of the people on the island of Ireland.

This historic visit and address by the grand secretary of the Orange Order is most welcome at this time. I strongly believe that it is another step on the path to sustained peace and reconciliation on our island. It also presents an opportunity for our people to learn and build understanding about the Orange Order.

This is timely and significant as we approach a series of commemorations that will take place over the coming decade marking the centenaries of some of the most historic and significant events in Irish and British history, such as the signing of the Ulster Covenant, the Easter Rising and the First World War. We should use these commemorations to further reconciliation between our communities, to learn from each other, to build bridges, to promote positive and inclusive engagement and to deepen our understanding of our shared history.

I am delighted that, under our new procedures, we could invite Mr. Drew Nelson to address Seanad Éireann, that he has accepted our invitation and that this Chamber can play an important part in furthering peace and understanding. It is a great honour to invite Mr. Drew Nelson to address Seanad Éireann.