1 Orangeism in Scotland: Unionism, Politics, Identity and Football Joseph M Bradley: Orangeism in Scotland: Unionism, Politics, Identity and Football, Eire – Ireland: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies, Vol 39, 1 & 2, Spring/Summer 2004, pp. 237-261 (ISSN 0013 2683) For almost two hundred years the Orange Institution has been a feature in the religious, social and cultural life of west central Scotland. Although a matter of some contention, the Order has also had an undoubted political meaning, affecting political allegiances and identities. Despite an Irish birth, the Institution has at its core a uniquely Ulster-Scottish perception of both its own constitution and its function to British identity. The data much of this study is based upon is derived from an attitudinal survey designed to elicit the background and attitudes of a sample of members of the Loyal Orange Institution of Scotland. Over the course of 1990, I surveyed one hundred and eleven members from the four defined Orange counties of Scotland: Ayrshire, Glasgow, Central Scotland and the East of Scotland. The survey and subsequent interviews took place at Orange meetings and social clubs. For comparative purposes, I surveyed members of the Church of Scotland and other prominent and relevant Scottish groups such as Catholic Church attenders and football fans. 1 The initial sections of this paper briefly look at the historical evolution, social structures and demographic characteristics of Scottish Orangeism. Because anti- Catholicism is so central to Orange ideology and practice in Scotland, I will proceed to examine Orange perceptions of Catholicism and the way these notions shape political attitudes. The data also includes reference to the attitudes and identities of the supporters’ of Glasgow Rangers Football Club (soccer). The references to Glasgow Rangers extend the exploration of the culture of Unionism in Scotland. The essay concludes with a discussion of the political, cultural and social parameters of Orange identity and its place in modern Scotland.