religious rivalry in glasgow

In Glasgow, sectarian rivalry still exists in certain sectors of the population, largely as a result of mass immigration to the city from Ireland in the 19th Century. The large majority of Catholics are of Irish origin, although a few came from the Highlands and Lithuania. Some Northern Irish Protestants have also migrated to Glasgow, bringing the culture and traditions of that community, there was a significant influx among shipyard workers just before the First World War. Nowadays this is largely limited to the sporting rivalry between the supporters of Celtic and Rangers, which has an underlying religious basis for some people. The large majority of Celtic supporters are nominally Catholic, while practically all Rangers supporters are nominally Protestant. At Celtic Park, the Flag of Ireland has a place of honour and at Ibrox Stadium, it is the national flag of the U.K., the Union Flag. The Orangemen of Glasgow (members of the Protestant Orange Lodges), parade through the city around the historic 12th July, playing flutes and drums and singing songs in a celebration of the overthrow of absolutist monarchy and the establishment of civil and religious freedom. Republican marches, some professing open support for terrorist groups, are still permitted. Glasgow has constantly had a ferment of new incoming religious groups, Jews, Highlanders, Irish Catholics, and more recently asylum seekers of many faiths. Many see this as an enrichment and revitalising of the city, and regard bigotry as a dark but distant part of this vibrant and modern city's history. Although acceptance of other faiths in Glasgow is not universal, surveys comparing people's ideas about sectarianism with their actual day-to-day personal experience show that the perception of sectarianism is much stronger than its occurrence in reality. This perception has however been cannily used by some political groups to advance an "anti-sectarian" agenda, pushing the Scottish Parliament to legislate against "sectarian" behaviour while the city's real problems of unemployment, poverty and poor health remain unaddressed. Few voices have dared to question the existence of separate state-funded education for Catholics, which public opinion, even among Catholics themselves, identifies as the major contributing factor to the remaining religious rivalry.

Religious Rivalry In Glasgow

See also