| Gangrene |
03-16-2013 07:58 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard
(Post 4838025)
Does the orange denote Catholicism or Protestants? I never remember.
This time next week I'll be in Scotland.
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Here's the Bridge Notes ... you may need them for drunken conversation late at night in Public Houses.
"William was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland; He is referred to by sections of the population in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy".
A Protestant, William participated in several wars against the powerful Catholic king of France, Louis XIV, in coalition with Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe. Many Protestants heralded him as a champion of their faith. Largely because of that reputation, William was able to take the British crowns when many were fearful of a revival of Catholicism under James. William's victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is still commemorated by the Orange Order. His reign marked the beginning of the transition from the personal rule of the Stuarts to the more Parliament-centred rule of the House of Hanover. "
The site of the Battle Of The Boyne is worth a visit as tragic as it was for those at the wrong end of a pike or bullet. Cows quietly graze over the ghosts of thousands who lost their lives in a fight in the name of two foreign kings, a Dutch Protestant and an English Catholic. |
