About Us :: 13 Questions and Answers

  1. Who are the Apprentice Boys of Derry?

    The Apprentice Boys of Derry Association are an historical organisation whose members are committed to maintaining the spirit of liberty displayed by the Apprentice Boys in 1688 against oppression. The Apprentice Boys perpetuate that spirit of liberty, inherent to the Reformed Protestant faith, by faithfully commemorating the “Derry Celebrations” within the Maiden City and in other localities, keeping alive the memory of the Brave 13 and the heroic sacrifices of the besieged within the Walls. The Association raises its profile to audiences beyond the City, through parades, exhibitions, lectures and any other appropriate means of communication.

  2. What are the Derry Celebrations?

    Each year the Apprentice Boys of Derry celebrate two dates in the city of Londonderry. First, the closing of the City Gates by thirteen young Apprentices against the enemy forces on 18th December (New Calendar). And second, when the City was relieved after the Siege, having held out and not surrendered despite about 10,000 of the defenders dying in Her defence, on 12th August (New Calendar).

    Those celebrations take the form of a parade by the organisation to and from a Church Service held in the historic Saint Columb’s, Church of Ireland (Anglican), Cathedral. The organisation has some 10,000 members, who converge on Londonderry to take part in the commemorative parade though the City. A wreath of Remembrance is laid at the City’s Memorial to remember all those who have died over the centuries, including the First and Second World Wars, defending our heritage of civil and religious liberty for all.

  3. Why was the Siege so important?

    The Siege of Londonderry in the years 1688-1689 played a very important role in securing the victory of the Williamite forces in Britain, and indeed parts of Europe. The success of King William III and the Glorious Revolution effectively stopped the building of a tyrannical empire by Louis XIV of France and his ally, the deposed King of England, James II. The theory of the Divine right of Kings was replaced by reforms put in place by King William III and Queen Mary, establishing the supremacy of parliamentary democracy and basic freedoms of the rule of law that we enjoy today.

  4. How big an organisation is the Apprentice Boys?

    The Association has around 10,000 members across eight Parent Clubs based in Londonderry. These Clubs are named after Siege Heroes, except for the “No Surrender” Club named after the famous battle cry from the defenders. Members who live away from Londonderry organise in Branch Clubs affiliated to one of the Parent Clubs. Although there are individual members throughout the World, there are sufficient members in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, the Republic of Ireland and Canada for Branch Clubs to thrive.

    New candidates become members of the Association of the Apprentice Boys of Derry only within the ancient City Walls; mostly at The Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall. This is the only place in the World where one can become a member of the Association, through a Parent Club.

  5. Is it true that Roman Catholics are excluded from the Apprentice Boys Association?

    Membership of the Association is open to anyone who professes Christ through the reformed Protestant faith. There is no specific reference to Roman Catholics of their faith within the rules of the Apprentice Boys Association.

    The victory that secured democracy ensures we all have the right to free speech, freedom of faith and freedom of Association. Everyone has the right to verbally criticise by peaceful democratic means what they perceive as wrong, but otherwise avoid the use of any force of coercion to make another do something that is against his conscience.

  6. Is the Apprentice Boys a secret organisation?

    No, the Apprentice Boys is not a secret organisation. We have no secret rituals, signs or passwords. We use a standard form of conduct within our meetings, which is clearly laid down in the ‘ritual’ book. This has been made openly available to bodies such as the press and the courts over the past years. Our objectives and methods of achieving them have been clearly set out time and again. Our initiation ceremonies are written down and have in fact been filmed in the past by television reporters. They are straightforward and consist of answering a few questions and readings from the Bible.

  7. When joining do candidates swear an anti-Catholic Oath and agree not to attend Roman Catholic religious services?

    No. In fact no oaths of any kind are taken. A new member merely confirms that he is of the Reformed Protestant Faith, that he will support the Throne of these Realms, keep alive the memories of the Siege of 1688-89, and that he will endeavour to attend the Celebration dates. There are no further obligations. Roman Catholicism, or any other religions for that matter are not even mentioned in the text of our literature, including the ritual of initiating of candidates. There are no restrictions placed on where a member attends acts of worship. That is a matter for his conscience.

  8. At the end of the day are Roman Catholics not excluded from celebrating the foundation of contemporary democracy in the UK?

    No. The Associated Clubs of the Apprentice Boys of Derry is, as previously stated, of the Reformed Protestant Faith. Attending the celebrations and the Service of thanksgiving is open to all members of our community. In recent times the Apprentice Boys have asked a local drama group to re-enact events from The Siege so that all the community can enjoy the spectacle. The mistrust in our community today is a result of ignorance and misunderstanding. The Apprentice Boys of Derry has worked hard to explain its origins and to find ways in which the history and heritage of the Siege is easily understood.

  9. The war in Ireland was a victory for Protestants over Roman Catholics and celebrating this victory is merely coat trailing. Are the celebrations not rubbing salt into the wounds?

    No. A victory for Protestants over Roman Catholics is a very simplistic statement. It is true that James II did find considerable support among Roman Catholics in Ireland. However half of his army were French, and some of his Irish soldiers were of the Protestant faith. Similarly the Army of William III was not only Irish Protestants. It included English, Dutch, Scottish, French Huguenots and other European soldiers. It was by no means a Protestant army. For example the Royal Dutch Blue Guards, some of his best troops were a Roman Catholic Regiment. William III was in fact allied to Pope Innocent XI (Benedict Odescalchi) and his successor Alexander VIII, both of whom opposed Louis XIV and his allies.

  10. Do Roman Catholics today not perceive the war of 1688-89 as one of a Protestant victory over Roman Catholics?

    The importance of The Siege has been recognised by the City Council in Londonderry. Despite this democratically elected council representing an area with an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic majority, they have now begun to assist the Protestant culture within the area in celebrating the anniversary dates. The Council has found ways of celebrating the historic significance of Londonderry and the siege of 1688-89 and has assisted in the refurbishment of historic monuments, including the City Walls. The Council has also commissioned museum exhibitions and found modern ways such as concerts to remember the events of 1688-89.

  11. What steps have the Apprentice Boys Association taken to encourage understanding in all sections of the community?

    The Apprentice Boys Association have taken many steps in recent years to assist in building respect for their culture and the celebrations in general. We have:

    • Met with groups from any background, who are willing to listen, to explain our culture and traditions.
    • Taken notice of many of the concerns expressed by traditions other than our own.
    • Apprentice Boys have ensured historical accuracy in our use of flags on our property and when producing literature.
    • Organised the Maiden City Festival and other events to provide a wider understanding and involvement of others outside the organisation, from all communities to enable more people to feel part of the events.
    • Have an on-going Schools “Daily Heritage” project open to all schools in the North West that has the active participation and support of history teachers from Creggan to Claudy. In time this may extend beyond our educational Board.

  12. What have the Apprentice Boys gained out of the steps taken?

    It is important to encourage greater understanding of the reasons for those men in suits walking in a dignified fashion to Church, and we believe there is a wider appreciation of the value of the Association and the contribution members make to the cultural life of the City and further a field. The Maiden City Festival in August is ample evidence of our commitment lies beyond words. At the same time, the meaning of the Apprentice Boys “celebrations” of the Siege of Derry would greatly be diminished for the Association without our parades and Remembrance. It would be grossly offensive to our organisation, and to our culture and heritage, were efforts made to turn the entire event into fun, games and light-hearted entertainment.

    The Apprentice Boys has gained a lot of understanding and respect from all sections of the wider community. There is a small section of the population steeped in sectarian bitterness and political ideology who wish to perpetuate division and hold back all communities from the basic tenets of pluralism - responsibility and respect for each others’ freedoms. You can’t convince everyone.

  13. Apprentice Boys are involved in hundreds of parades every year. Is this not unnecessary, excessive and could this not be reduced?

    Apart from attending their local Church service Apprentice Boys Branch Clubs are required to inform the Governing body of all parades anywhere in Northern Ireland. The number of parades notified in any year is barely more than a couple of dozen. These are mostly small parades that take place before Branch Clubs leave in transport to the main celebrations in Londonderry on the two celebration days, and occasionally there may be a small Church Parade. Local parades draw the attention of local communities to the larger parades in Londonderry and serve as the local Club’s means of keeping alive the memory of the events of 1688-89 outside Londonderry, as required by the rules of the Association. Most of these local parades are no more than half an hour in duration.

    It appears to be convenient for some people with ulterior motives to lump the responsibility of all activities within the community of 1,000,000 Protestants unto the shoulders of the Apprentice Boys. We are an organisation representing up to 10,000 members and their families. We have no control over other groups with whom we have no links. We are not a political party and have steadfastly remained outside party politics in Northern Ireland. We have no affiliation with other groups such as the Orange Order.