West Belfast Orange Hall Centenary
By William Humphrey

NEW ULSTER, SUMMER 1998

An attractive red brick Victorian building, West Belfast Orange Hall sits proudly at the top of' the Shankill Road. The foundation stone for the hall was laid by the then County Grand Master of Belfast, Rt. Wor. Bro. the Revd Dr Richard Rutledge Kane, who presided at the official opening of the hall, which was performed by Mrs R J McConnell on 22 April 1898.

The first meeting of the No. 9 Orange District in the new hall was held on 22 April 1898, and with the then District  Master  Wor.  Bro.  George Callen  presiding,  he  welcomed  the brethren of No 9 to their new home. The building is headquarters to No. 9 District L.OL; No. 9 District RAPC; No.l District of the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland; No. 2 District of the Junior Girls' LOL; No. 1 District of the Junior Orange Association of Ireland and also No. 6 RBDC of the Imperial Grand Black Chapter of the British Commonwealth.

"The West" still remains a focal point of social life in this   densely   populated Protestant area of our great city.

As the years have progressed various schemes of renovation have been undertaken. The first such scheme was in 1932 when the ballroom  was  decorated.  In 1956 a Hall Extension and Renovation Committee was formed  which  organised many functions, the profits of which enabled the hall to be painted both inside and outside and rewiring to take place. The hall was reopened on 31August 1960.

The early 60s was a period of considerable activity in the hall and was typified by the erection of an Orange Arch (erected to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of' the signing of the Ulster Covenant), which was opened on 26 September 1962 by Most Wor. Bro. Capt Sir George Clark, the then Grand Master of Ireland.

The proceedings that evening were chaired by Wor. Bro. Cllr Charles McCullough and among the guest speakers were Bro. Brian Faulkner MP (Minister of Home Affairs) and Lt. Col. James; G Cunningham OBE DL, Senior Trustee In December 1974 work commenced yet again, with new toilets being built and a new kitchen was also fitted. This type of redevelopment continued through to the early 1980s, much of it carried out on a voluntary basis by Wor. Bro. Edward McBride (LOL 1923).  However, sadly the hall struggled through much of this decade, although maJur· work was carried out in 1988 with repairs to the roof, PVC framed windows were fitted and repointing of the brickwork on outer wails, in all £32,000 was invested.

There can be no doubt, however, that the major work during the one hundred years was the £86,000 expended between 1993 and 1995 to refurbish rooms, install a damp proof course, new floors and ceilings, new heating and lighting systems, plastering of walls, and repainting of the entire hall.

Through the years many out-standing individuals have made significant contributions to the life-blood of the hall, men like Harry Maguire Sen., George Kane and Harry Burdge gave leadership and direction to the hall and its Management Committee. The current Hall Committee includes Wor Bro. Charles McCullough JP PDM (LOL 1069), who has been an active member of the committee for some forty-live years and indeed currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

As we look to the future we continue to build on the foundations put in place in 1898. The decision of the committee to name rooms after Harry Maguire Sen. and Harry Burdge reflects the respect with which their peers held these esteemed brethren. The McGrath Memorial Museum  (dedicated to the memory of the late Bro. Lewis McGrath (LOL 839) has turned a previously run-down disused room into a haven of Orange memorabilia and artifacts.

I would like to pay tribute to some members of' the current committee. Wor. Bro. John McFarlane (LOL 759), who I invited to act as convener of a Fundraising Sub-Committee in May 1995. The removal of our huge debt is due in no small way to the efforts of this committee. The fabric of the hall is maintained by Wor. Bro. Harry Percy (LOL 979) and Wor. Bro. John Campbell (LOL 979), who act as our building control advisers.

This year we commemorate and celebrate all that the "Shankill Citadel" has contributed to the lifeblood of the Greater Shankill. The many wide and  varied  activities  and  events planned by the Centenary Sub-Committee under the convener Wor Rro. James Spratt (LOL 739) reflects the wide and varied contribution that the Orange Institution provides not only to the protestant community in particular, but the cultural richness of Northern Ireland in general. The preservation of our cultural identity is vital to the Ulster-British people in Northern Ireland. For too long we have allowed our history and cultural traditions to be maligned and ignored. We must project our Orange message, customs and beliefs in a way which will enable others who may not he favourable to our ethos to understand and appreciate the great traditions and principles that is Orangeism.

In this our Centenary year we have adopted the slogan "Towards a New Millennium". This reflects that while we in West Belfast give thanks for our past, we are confident of our future. The committee remains strong in our resolve and steadfast in our beliefs as members of the Orange Order, to ensure that the hall will continue to he the centre for Orangeism in the Shankill area. As members of the Institution, men and women, we have a duty to ensure that the legacy handed down by King William and the founders of our Glorious institution prevails.

"This we will maintain "