Orange tartans

[macwilkin]

As some of you may know I have Dutch ancestry on my mother's side (Mewhort). My ancestor was one of the 7,000 Dutch and Brandenburgers who supported Prince William of Orange in the Williamite Campaign against the Jacobites in Ireland, 1688 to 1691. He fell in love with an Irish lass and settled there. Ann and I hope to be heading to Northern Ireland next month to join the 90th birthday celebrations of a cousin of my mother's. The family gathering is to be held in Lurgan Castle. Built in the Elizabethan style for the Rt. Hon. Charles Brownlow in 1833, Lurgan Castle is the largest Orange Hall in the world, becoming the headquarters of the Imperial Grand Black Chapter of the British Commonwealth at the beginning of 1925. Historic passions still run very high in Ireland and as recently as 1996 the castle was attacked and burned by Irish republican sympathisers and against the advice of firemen, prominent orangemen entered the still smouldering premises and re-raised the Union standard. While I would very much like to attend the event kilted I will need to choose my tartan carefully in such company and such surroundings. Three tartans spring to mind:-
Prince of Orange - This modern tartan honours the prince but is a modern tartan and I do not have a kilt in this tartan.
Black watch - Government sett ought to be OK but there have been clashes in recent years when Black watch troops based in Northern Ireland have clashed with Ulster orangemen whose sentiments and actions were seen as over-zealous, so maybe not.
Cunningham - My family name from my father's side. Interestingly in reading up on the Williamite Campaign I discovered that one of the four regiments of Enniskillen men who fought for William were Cunninghams, so I'm coming to the view that Cunningham might be an appropriate tartan to wear for the occasion.
I'd be interested to hear the views of some of our tartan experts such as Matt Newsome and Cajunscot as to an appropriate tartan to wear.

If you have the Cunningham tartan, Alex, I would suggest that one, given the personal connection & the Cunninghams who served with William.

For tartans you do not yet have, I would suggest The Ulster, the Prince of Orange and the Dutch tartan that Robin has been seen sporting around here as of recent. I really like the Ulster tartan because of its history.

[Mod hat on now]Please, everyone, let's not let this thread drift into a discussion about "The Troubles" -- Alex has asked a very good question and I think it can be answered without getting into the turbulent politics and history of Ireland.[Mod hat off]

Cheers,

Todd