For many, perhaps even most, Orangemen the Order is primarily a religious organisation. As an organisation it is not anti-Roman Catholic; it is a Protestant organisation.

The Orange Hall, the meeting place for Orangemen has long occupied a central place in the social life of the community. They serve as venues for a much wider range of gatherings than those, which are strictly Orange.

The Orange Order is also a cultural organisation, transmitting a culture and heritage – whether it is banner painting, sustaining a great musical tradition or teachings its ritual – from one generation to the next.

It also remains the most cohesive force in Ulster Protestant society and the essential expression of the culture and heritage of the Ulster Protestant people.