Latest news with #TwelfthParade
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bunting, bagpipes and bouncy castles bring joy to Augher
Red, white and blue bunting fluttered in the cool breeze under a blazing hot sun as families lined the streets of Augher for the Tyrone town's first Twelfth parade in six years. While many came prepared with picnics and deckchairs, local shops still did a roaring trade in ice creams, lollies, and cool drinks as excitement built for Saturday's march. Described by some as 'short and sweet', those who came to see the family-friendly Clogher Valley Twelfth parade clearly enjoyed it. Children, waving Union Flags, grinned from ear to ear as around 18 local bands, along with Orange Lodges, made their way through town led by Fivemiletown LOL No. 15 and Annahoe LOL No. 6. Classic cars, including a Mini wrapped in a Union Flag, gleamed in the sunshine, while a pair of white horses pulling a carriage driven by Tommy Irwin delivered a memorable end to the procession from Favour Royal Road down Augher Main Street to the final field along the A4. Augher Orange Order's Ian McClung told The Impartial Reporter: 'It's probably one of the best attendances we've had for a number of years. "The atmosphere, with the weather, has been superb. Ours is very much a family Twelfth.' While he described it as 'relatively small compared with some of the other demonstrations', he said it was a 'great day' which attracted 'thousands'. 'What we lack in size, we make up for in quality and the atmosphere that's here. Everybody parks on the route, brings a picnic, gets their chairs out, and sits in front of the car to enjoy the parade as it goes past. "We've made a particular effort with the bouncy castle, swing boats, and everything else. "It keeps the younger generation interested, and the older generation just likes to sit about and catch up with family and friends.' Brothers Stephen and Ivan Watt said their Lodges had been preparing for the parade for months. While members of different Orders, the pair said it really is a 'family day out'. 'I've been marching since I was 17 and I'm 58 now,' Stephen said, before taking his place in the procession. In the final field, there was a resounding air of celebration and family time. While Orders chatted under gazebos to shield themselves from the searing sun, children played on swing boats and queued for ice creams at several vans dotted around the event ahead of the speeches. Minister of Clogher Valley Free Presbyterian Church, Reverend Peter McIntyre, told this newspaper before addressing the crowd: 'It's a beautiful day.' Rev. McIntyre said he was there to 'share the faith' in a time when 'church attendance [is] falling'. 'The theme is to be a Christian — it's a choice we all have. It's great to celebrate our Protestant heritage. "King William was a Christian, and reformed Christianity lies at the heart of what made modern Britain. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether we are Protestants, Roman Catholics, Muslim or Hindu — there's only one Saviour for us. That's the message I have.' He added: 'In the Clogher Valley, and I've been here for 23 years, community relations are outstanding. We don't have the sectarian strife you see in other areas. "People get on very well with each other.' Worshipful District Master of Fivemiletown No. 15, Nigel Trotter, said: 'We always get the weather for the Twelfth in Augher. "It might be one of the smaller Twelfths, but what is small in quantity, we make up for in quality. "Our local bands, silver bands, pipe bands, accordion bands, and flute bands, come from within a 15-mile radius and are second to none. "There has been a fantastic turnout of spectators. The whole route was lined on both sides. "They were having their picnics and enjoying themselves — and that's what today was all about. It's a family day.'
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Irish Times
Orange Order parade passes through Ardoyne interface without incident
An Orange Order parade has passed the interface Ardoyne shops area in north Belfast without incident. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) mounted a security operation after the Parades Commission granted permission for the homeward part of the Twelfth parade to take place on Sunday morning. The area had been the location for violent confrontations linked to Orange marches in the past. However, a deal was reached in 2016 that instigated a moratorium on return parades while engagement over future agreement between the Orange Order and a nationalist residents' group was sought. READ MORE The return parade on Sunday – applied for under the name The Ligoneil Combine – involved one band and 50 members, with only hymn music permitted on its way past through the area. There was no protest staged by residents as the march passed through. Fr Gary Donegan, director of the Passionist Peace and Reconciliation Office, said there had been 'trepidation' in the Ardoyne community about the parade. He said: 'We had eight years of an agreement which facilitated morning parades with no return. 'Things started to break down in that agreement two years ago. 'Ultimately, yesterday passed by peacefully with no issues, but the return was always the issue. 'When it was determined this would actually happen there was a lot of sense of trepidation within the community, a lot of sense of tension. 'People were just hoping it would pass by, which it did. 'Now we can get on with the Sunday Masses and services as normal.' Fr Donegan said there had been a 'conscious decision' by the community not to hold a physical protest against the march. He said: 'Because of the sense of the tension in the lead-up to this, the less attention drawn to it the better. 'It passed through there, it is over and now we can start to go back to normality again.' Fr Donegan said future return Orange parades through the area are now in the 'hands of the Parades Commission'. He said: 'There was an agreement that took a lot of negotiating at the time. 'Now that that seems to be no longer in existence, it is going to be each and every time the issues that pertain to this are going to be on the table each time this happens.' The parade followed traditional Twelfth of July celebrations on Saturday that brought tens of thousands of people on to the streets across Northern Ireland. The festivities marked the 334th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, when the Protestant King William of Orange triumphed over the Catholic King James II. Meanwhile, the traditional July 13th events organised by the Royal Black Preceptory in the village of Scarva, Co Armagh, will take place on Monday. The event includes a parade as well as a sham fight between actors playing rival monarchs William and James. The Twelfth celebrations came after the burning of bonfires at an estimated 300 locations in loyalist neighbourhoods across the region on Thursday and Friday nights. – PA
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Orange parade passes through Ardoyne interface without incident
An Orange Order parade has passed the interface Ardoyne shops area in north Belfast without incident. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) mounted a security operation after the Parades Commission granted permission for the homeward part of the Twelfth parade to take place on Sunday morning. Advertisement The area had been the location for violent confrontations linked to Orange marches in the past. However, a deal was reached in 2016 which instigated a moratorium on return parades while engagement over future agreement between the Orange Order and a nationalist residents' group was sought. The return parade passes the Ardoyne shops (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) The return parade on Sunday – applied for under the name 'The Ligoneil Combine' – involved one band and 50 members, with only hymn music permitted on its way past through the area. There was no protest staged by residents as the march passed through. Advertisement Father Gary Donegan, director of the Passionist Peace and Reconciliation Office, said there had been 'trepidation' in the Ardoyne community about the parade. He said: 'We had eight years of an agreement which facilitated morning parades with no return. Father Gary Donegan said there had been 'trepidation' in the area due to the march (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) 'Things started to break down in that agreement two years ago. 'Ultimately, yesterday passed by peacefully with no issues, but the return was always the issue. Advertisement 'When it was determined this would actually happen there was a lot of sense of trepidation within the community, a lot of sense of tension. 'People were just hoping it would pass by, which it did. 'Now we can get on with the Sunday Masses and services as normal.' Fr Donegan said there had been a 'conscious decision' by the community not to hold a physical protest against the march. Advertisement He said: 'Because of the sense of the tension in the lead-up to this, the less attention drawn to it the better. 'It passed through there, it is over and now we can start to go back to normality again.' Fr Donegan said future return Orange parades through the area are now in the 'hands of the Parades Commission'. He said: 'There was an agreement that took a lot of negotiating at the time. Advertisement 'Now that that seems to be no longer in existence, it is going to be each and every time the issues that pertain to this are going to be on the table each time this happens.' The parade followed traditional Twelfth of July celebrations on Saturday which brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets across Northern Ireland. The festivities marked the 334th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, when the Protestant King William of Orange triumphed over the Catholic King James II. Meanwhile, the traditional July 13th events organised by the Royal Black Preceptory in the village of Scarva, Co Armagh, will take place on Monday. The event includes a parade as well as a sham fight between actors playing rival monarchs William and James. The Twelfth celebrations came after the burning of bonfires at an estimated 300 locations in loyalist neighbourhoods across the region on Thursday and Friday nights.
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rossnowlagh: Thousands attend Orange Order parade in Donegal
Large crowds have gathered in County Donegal for the annual Orange Order parade in the seaside village of 50 lodges and bands from counties Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan are taking part along with other Orangemen from across Northern Ireland. Some visitors from overseas also take in the grand master of the Orange Order in Donegal, David Mahon, said the order was going from strength to strength in the County. "It's always a good carnival type of day, with lots of people selling burgers, chips and other things that go with it," Mr Mahon said."It's an important day for the Order as it's the only Twelfth [parade] we have in the Republic of Ireland. "It means a lot for the members. We've always had the Twelfth here for as long as I can remember and that's a long while," he Mahon said the order has good relations with the Catholic community in Donegal. "They help us out any way they can on the day with car parking and things like that," he said. The Rossnowlagh parade takes place each year on the Saturday before the main Twelfth of July commemorations in Northern Twelfth commemorates the Battle of the Boyne, when Protestant William of Orange defeated Catholic King James II in 1690. Alan Thompson told BBC News NI he loved coming to Rossnowlagh for the celebrations. "It's always a great day and there's never any bother, always a great atmosphere," he said. "I've come down from Ballinamallard. Lovely bands here and I just love coming down." Gillian Stronge from Fermanagh said she enjoyed the parade whatever the weather. "The whole atmosphere is just brilliant and there's always a big crowd," she said."I'm here with friends from Fermanagh and it's one of the highlights of the year."
