Drumcree Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Drumcree Parish Church |
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| The Church of the Ascension | |
Drumcree Parish Church
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| 54°26′25.6″N 06°27′34.2″W / 54.440444°N 6.459500°W | |
| Location | Drumcree Road, Portadown |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| Website | www.drumcree.org |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 28 October 1856 |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 17 May 1855 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Drumcree |
Drumcree Parish Church, also known as The Church of the Ascension, is an important Church of Ireland church. It is located in Drumcree, a small area near Portadown in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The church sits on a hill and is a very old and important building.
There has been a church on this spot for hundreds of years, since the Middle Ages. The church you see today was started in 1855 and finished in 1856. The current leader of the church is Reverend Gary Galway.
For several years in the 1990s, Drumcree Church became famous around the world. This was because of events known as the Drumcree standoffs. Each year, a group called the Orange Order would march to and from a church service here. This march happens on the Sunday before July 12th. However, people living in a nearby Catholic area did not want the march to go through their neighborhood.
Thousands of Orange Order members and their supporters would gather at Drumcree. They tried to force their way through, but police and security forces stopped them. Large barriers of steel and barbed wire were put up. These yearly events at Drumcree stopped in the early 2000s.
The Church's Long History
The name Drumcree comes from the Irish language. It means "boundary ridge." This likely refers to the River Bann, which was an old boundary.
There has been a church building on this site since the Middle Ages. The area around Drumcree became a church parish in 1110. A parish is a local church district.
In 1563, an important Irish leader named Shane O'Neill met with an English representative at Drumcree. They tried to make a peace agreement, but it did not last.
The church and parish were part of the Catholic Church for a long time. This changed after the Protestant Reformation and when England took control of the area in the early 1600s. A map from 1609 shows the old church was in ruins.
After the Ulster Plantation in 1610, a new Protestant church was built. This church was described as a simple stone building. Later, in 1812, a tower was added, and a church bell in 1814.
Building the Current Church
In 1854, people decided to build a brand new church. The first stone was laid on May 17, 1855. This new church is the one that stands there today. It was built on the same spot as the older church. The church was officially opened on October 28, 1856.
In 1871, the Church of Ireland was "disestablished." This meant it was no longer the official state church. Because of this, Drumcree Church lost most of its land.
Over the years, more additions were made. A new burial ground was created in 1901. The Parochial Hall, a community building, was built in 1902. A large pipe organ was put into the church in 1907.
Memorials were also added to remember soldiers. A memorial for World War I was built in 1921. Another burial ground was made in 1922. In 1989, a memorial for those lost in World War II was put up. The church building itself was repaired in 1992.
Drumcree and the Orange Order Parades
The Orange Order is a Protestant organization. It was started near Portadown in 1795. The first Orange Order church parade at Drumcree happened on July 1, 1795. This parade was started by Protestant ministers in the area.
One minister, Reverend George Maunsell, asked his church members to attend a service at Drumcree. He wanted them to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne. This first parade, like many others, led to violence in the area.
A historian named Francis Plowden wrote about what happened after the service in 1795. He said that people leaving the church attacked Catholics they met. They broke windows and even killed two Catholics. This violence caused more anger between religious groups.
Traditionally, Orange Order members march from the center of Portadown to Drumcree Church. After the service, they march back. Today, these parades are often said to remember soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Division. These soldiers died during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
Portadown is mostly a Protestant town. However, the Garvaghy Road area is home to a small Catholic community. This community has faced unfair treatment for a long time.
The Orange Order believes they have a right to march down Garvaghy Road. They say it is a traditional route. But the people living on Garvaghy Road believe they have a right not to be subjected to marches that feel threatening.
The disagreements between the Orange Order and the police became a symbol of the deep divisions in Northern Ireland. Some people argue that these parades can cause more religious hatred.
In 1998, the Northern Ireland Parades Commission banned the Orange Order from marching down Garvaghy Road. This ban has been in place every year since then.
The Church of Ireland has asked the rector of Drumcree Church, Reverend John Pickering, not to hold the Orange Order service. The head of the Church of Ireland, Dr. Robin Eames, said that violent behavior after a religious service makes a "mockery" of it. However, Reverend Pickering has continued to welcome Orangemen to his church. He says his church doors are open to everyone.
In 2007, after a new power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland, the Orange Order parade was peaceful. However, the Orange Order is still not allowed to march down Garvaghy Road.
