Northern Ireland in the mid 1990’s was going through many changes. Paramilitary ceasefires saw an end to over 30 years of violence, loyalist protestant marches by the Orange Order became a very contentious issue. These photographs look at the detail and colour of a community and its traditional symbols, and how these explain or confuse. Can these elements be used to see beyond the surface and look at ideas of identity and belonging in a culture that is being asked to redefine itself.
Many parades resulted in violence between Loyalist Protestants and Nationalist Catholics. As a result the Orange order who were responssable for the organising of the majority of these marches came under close scrutiny. Did they represent the feelings of the Loyalist Protestant people of Ireland or were they an outdated sudopolitocal organisation. What was the meaning of their costumes and traditions of this secret order.
