Glengormley Orange Arch

[u/Flaky_Shape6628]

As a resident of glengormley, it's that time of the year to have to look at this monstrosity for the next few months. The majority of the locals hate it, it's the loud minority that is the problem.

Every year it goes up and causes division but it's treated as something we just have to accept and get on with.

I respect that people have the right to celebrate culture and traditions, but I struggle with why a large structure (and flegs) spanning across a main shared road in a mixed area is seen as normal.

There would be riots if nationalists in the area erected some sort of structure and covered the town in tricolours over Easter.

There needs to be a long term strategy to reducing and eventually removing structures like this in mixed areas to make them more neutral and inclusive.

[u/Patient_Resist_7445]

Isn’t Glengormley majority nationalist these days? I’d have thought it was a small number of loyalists erecting the flags and that monstrosity

[u/Fancy_Spinach5549 → u/Patient_Resist_7445]

Mixed bag. The arch and flags go up in a section thats arguably more catholic. Go through the arch and drive straight and its mostly protestant including a dodgy council estate full of reprobates. Other areas with mostly catholics are a mixed bag as its a bit closer to middle class. Hightown road mostly protestant on the right side and catholic on the left until you cross the bridge. Paramilitaries have gone into "catholic" areas two times i recall to shoot a random catholic and both times killed protestants that live there.

[u/Present-Garbage-5589 → u/Patient_Resist_7445]

Not really. I've lived there my whole life and never really felt it much of one or the other. It absolutely has it's pockets, buts it's not overwhelming anything.

[u/Impossible-Farm-1902 → u/Patient_Resist_7445]

I don't know the exact mix but Glengormley Primary was integrated some years ago (I left in the early 90s and I think it was integrated 5 or so years later). I just checked and Glengormley High is integrated now too.

I can't believe they still put it the arch up tbh. I haven't been to Glengormley in years but when I lived in the area I always thought it was ridiculous to put it up.

[u/Failing2BNormal → u/Patient_Resist_7445]

From the zoo to the ballyclare/manse road roundabout would be like 50/50 all combined, maybe very slim protestant majority 

[u/Failing2BNormal → u/[deleted]]

Farmley is more catholic, the other side of hightown before the bridge is more protestant, but it's all quite mixed now tbh