OPW bans green and orange colours from Battle of the Boyne site

Darragh Mc Donagh

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has banned tour guides from wearing green or orange clothing at the site in Meath where the Protestant King William III defeated the Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne.

The location is of particular significance to unionists, as William’s victory in 1690 established Protestant dominance in Ireland and is commemorated by the Orange Order with a series of marches on July 12th each year.

The rule prohibiting guides from wearing green or orange at the Battle of the Boyne visitor centre is not contained in the official OPW Guide Handbook, which is supplied to guides and information officers at heritage sites.

Instead, the directive is being communicated directly to new guides by a supervisor at the visitor centre after they have been hired, according to emails released under freedom of information laws.

The instruction, which is believed to be aimed at respecting the sensitivities of both unionist and nationalist visitors, is not the only unusual dress-code directive issued by the OPW to its guides.

A section of the handbook dealing with clothing and uniform requirements specifies that “nudity is prohibited at all sites”. Asked why it was considered necessary to include this in its dress code for new tour guides, the OPW declined to comment.

The Battle of the Boyne visitor centre was developed following the allocation of €15 million of government funding in 2005. Last year, a further €10 million was provided for the centre under the Shared Island initiative.

The site was famously chosen as the venue for Ian Paisley’s first official meeting as Stormont's first minister with Bertie Ahern in 2007. The then-Taoiseach presented the DUP leader with a musket used in the Battle of the Boyne.

An email titled “Welcome aboard” sent by a supervisor to a newly hired seasonal guide last year contained details of the dress code for staff at the visitor centre. It prohibits items including army jackets and clothes that feature “slogans, badges or emblems”.

The email stated that “green and orange are not permitted on site”.

The OPW provides an annual allowance for guides where colour-coded clothing is mandated by local management. This is payable at a rate of €210 for permanent guides, and €100 for seasonal workers.

The OPW declined to comment when asked about the prohibition of green and orange clothing at the Battle of the Boyne site.