Club De Orange Patna

28/09/2026

“PATRIOTS HAVE TOILED AND IN
THEIR COUNTRYS CAUSE
BLED NOBLY AND THEIR DEEDS
AS THEY DESERVE
RECEIVE GOOD RECOMPENSE
BUT MARTYRS STRUGGLE FOR A
BRIGHTER PRIZE
AND WIN IT WITH MORE PAIN
AND SUFFERING
YET FEW REMEMBER THEM.”

Robert Nairn was a shoemaker from Napierston, near Bonhill in West Dunbartonshire. His trouble appears to have begun by 1681–82 when he was fined £20 Scots for nonconformity, specifically for refusing to hear the Episcopal incumbent of Bonhill. Even after the fine was paid, he was forced to abandon his home and occupation, dismiss his servants and go into hiding. Sheriff officers repeatedly searched his house. Where it was remarked that they rarely searched it without taking something away with them.

Forced from his home, Robert hid in the surrounding woods and countryside while officers repeatedly raided his house searching for him.

One night in February 1685, they arrived around midnight.

Robert’s wife fled carrying their nursing baby. His eldest son, not yet fourteen, was threatened with drawn swords and ordered to reveal his father’s hiding place.

The officers then seized the family’s possession, even taking the bedding from Robert’s two youngest children after turning them out their beds. Both children being under five years old.

His wife was also later arrested and imprisoned.

Meanwhile, Robert endured the bitter Scottish winter in hiding. Local tradition tells that soldiers eventually discovered him and fired after him as he escaped into the woods. The hunger, cold, fear and exposure gradually destroyed his health and he became extremely sick.

Friends eventually managed to move the desperately ill Covenanter to safety, but it was too late.

Robert Nairn died on 15 April 1685.

Even then, his persecution was not over.

his body was taken back to his own house on the Monday following his death. His friends wanted to give him a proper funeral and requested the parish mort-cloth, the ceremonial cloth placed over a coffin.

The Episcopal incumbent refused it.

Then, when the beadle attempted to prepare Nairn’s grave in Bonhill churchyard, the minister came out, stopped him and locked the churchyard gate.
Nairn’s friends insistence eventually prevailed and he was buried in the churchyard.

His memorial still stands at Bonhill, remembering the “severe hardships and privations” he endured and his “piety, patience, and Christian fortitude.”

His grave reads:

TO THE MEMORY
of
ROBERT NAIRN of BONHILL
Who died 15th April 1685
of illness occasioned by severe
hardship and privations to
which he was subjected for his
Steady adherence to the cause
of Truth and Religious Liberty
and in token of the respect for the
piety patience and Christian
fortitude for which he was
distinguished in that period of
peril and persecution

PATRIOTS HAVE TOILED AND IN
THEIR COUNTRYS CAUSE
BLED NOBLY AND THEIR DEEDS
AS THEY DESERVE
RECEIVE GOOD RECOMPENSE
BUT MARTYRS STRUGGLE FOR A
BRIGHTER PRIZE
AND WIN IT WITH MORE PAIN
AND SUFFERING
YET FEW REMEMBER THEM

28/09/2026

🟠 Remembering Ulster Day – 28th September

Today we remember Ulster Day, when, on 28th September 1912, almost half a million men and women signed the Ulster Covenant and Declaration in opposition to Home Rule.

Across Ulster, people gathered in towns, villages and Orange Halls to add their names, with the Covenant becoming one of the defining documents of this period in our history.

More than a century later, Ulster Day remains an important part of our Orange and Unionist heritage, and today we remember those who stood together and made their voices heard.

As Orange Heritage Week draws to a close, we reflect on this significant moment in Ulster's history.

28/09/2026

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland is committed to the rule of law prevailing in our land. That premise assumes that no one, regardless of their position, should be considered above the law.

The Brethren of Portadown have chosen to pursue a legal and principled approach challenging the Parades Commission's long-standing refusal to allow the completion of their traditional route.
The legal outcome, after challenges and appeals, remains that there is no lawful reason to stop the parade proceeding.

Disappointingly, nationalism and republicanism, including many individuals who hold key political offices, decided that the law is only to be adhered to and enforced when it is supporting their views.

There are now major political questions to be asked about the illegal actions and subsequent repercussions of a number of elected representives. There is no shortage of evidence of illegality, and we therefore anticipate a swift response which holds lawbreakers to account for their actions.

Whilst we acknowledge the difficult situation faced by Police; their duty is to uphold the law. If the safety of our 35 Brethren cannot be guaranteed, then PSNI need to make that clear and admit that they are unable to police the potential actions of those taking part in the illegal protest. Such a failure has echoes of the high-profile paramilitary funeral during covid and will do little to dispel the view that there are different policing approaches and decisions.

It has been encouraging to see political Unionism speak collaboratively on this matter and we trust that they will now bring collective scrutiny of the actions of others.

The events of the last 36 hours have shown that despite the warm overtures and talk of a shared future, many within political nationalism still cannot, and will not tolerate Orange and Unionist rights as a legitimate part of the cultural fabric of our shared and complex history.

GOLI Officers remain in regular communication with Portadown District and local elected representatives and will continue to offer support as required.

16/09/2026

Just HRH King Charles III out a wee walk.

01/09/2026

Message from the Most Worthy Grand Master

As we enter another Lodge election season, I want to recognise the Sisters and Brethren who have carried responsibility within our Lodges over the past year. Holding office is a commitment of both time and service, often carried out quietly and without recognition. To everyone who has served, thank you for the part you have played in supporting your Lodge and our wider Institution.

The strength of the Loyal Orange Institution begins at Private Lodge level. Strong Lodges, guided by good leadership, provide the foundation upon which our Districts, Counties and the Institution as a whole can continue to grow and prosper. Our Lodge elections are therefore about more than filling positions. They are an opportunity to choose those who will lead with integrity, encourage their members, uphold the principles of our Institution and help bring people together.

To those who will be taking on office, I offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes. Leadership brings responsibility, but it also brings an opportunity to make a positive difference to the life of your Lodge and to those who belong to it. I encourage every office bearer to work together, listen to their members and remember that we are strongest when we stand together in unity.

Whatever position we hold, each of us has a part to play. By supporting one another and working together with a common purpose, we can ensure that our Lodges remain strong and that the Loyal Orange Institution continues to move forward with confidence.

May God guide all those who take on responsibility in the year ahead, and may He continue to bless our Lodges, our members and the Loyal Orange Institution of Scotland.

Bro. Andrew Murray
Most Worthy Grand Master

01/09/2026