London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Twelfth of July: Thousands take part in Orange Order parades

Twelfth of July: Thousands take part in Orange Order parades

Thousands of people took part in parades across Northern Ireland to mark the Twelfth of July.

The annual Orange Order parades celebrate the Battle of the Boyne, when William of Orange - also known as King Billy - defeated the Catholic King James II in 1690.

Main parades, accompanied by marching bands, took place in 18 locations.

Police said this year's Twelfth was one of the safest and most peaceful in recent memory.

The night before, hundreds of bonfires were lit across Northern Ireland.

Known as the Eleventh Night, it is usually one of the busiest nights of the year for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service but it has recorded a fall in the number of bonfire-related call-outs.

Main parades took place in 18 places - the biggest was in Belfast

This year saw a return to the full traditional programme after the Covid-19 pandemic


The 11 and 12 July also involve the largest policing operation mounted each year.

More than one third of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) - 2,500 officers - were on duty to facilitate almost 600 parades.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: "I want to take this opportunity to thank all those involved for their help in making this one of the safest and most peaceful 12th July events in recent memory."

Eight arrests were made and police are investigating a small number of potential breaches of Parades Commission determinations.

The 24-hour operation has cost more than £1m in previous years.

The sound of the bagpipes was heard during the demonstration in Newry


Twelfth of July parades were called off in 2020 because of Covid-19.

In 2021, smaller parades were held due to the pandemic but 2022 is a return to the full traditional programme.

Twelfth demonstrations were held in: Glenarm, Ballymena, Bushmills, Antrim, Cullybackey, Magheragall, Armagh, Belfast, Ballygowan, Greyabbey, Newry, Ballymartin, Enniskillen, Limavady, Tobermore, Castlecaulfield, Omagh and Aughnacloy.

Grand master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson, who attended the demonstration in Bushmills, said it was wonderful to see the streets packed with spectators.

He urged unionist leaders to "maintain their firm opposition" to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He said the order was paying close attention to the progress of the government's Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

"While it does not provide the answer to all our problems, it must be viewed as a step in the right direction," he added.

Orange Order members in Armagh were joined by 65 bands


Orange Order grand secretary Rev Mervyn Gibson told those attending the demonstration in Newry that the Republic of Ireland needed to decide if they want "good relations with the unionist community in all parts of the United Kingdom" or if they "want to cling to the protocol".

"Micheál Martin (Irish prime minister) - you cannot have both," he added.

Belfast County grand master Spencer Beattie welcomed the resumption of a full programme of parades in Northern Ireland after the pandemic.

"We've had various smaller parades over the last couple of years, reduced down because of Covid, but it's great to be back in full swing again," he added.

These friends in Belfast were suitably dressed for the parades

This pooch was also dressed to impress


​About 10,000 Orange Order members took part in the Belfast parade, with crowds lining the streets in the city centre.

A wreath-laying service was held at the cenotaph at City Hall on Tuesday morning.

Participants later headed to Barnett Demesne in south Belfast before embarking on their return journey on Tuesday afternoon.

Thousands of people turned out for the parade in Limavady, with 15 lodges and 11 bands taking part.

The parade includes the Coleraine and Macosquin districts, the City of Londonderry Grand Orange Lodge, as well as members from east Donegal.

Some 60 lodges took part in the event in Antrim town, which hosted the east Antrim demonstration for the first time in 12 years.

In Enniskillen, lodges from County Fermanagh were joined by brethren and bands from Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan


Orange Order members in Armagh were joined by 65 bands accompanied by bagpipes, flutes, and the Lambeg drum.

Maguiresbridge District and Silver Band led the parade in Enniskillen, with lodges from throughout Fermanagh joined by brethren and bands from Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan.

The parade paused at the Enniskillen war memorial where a wreath was laid on behalf of County Fermanagh loyal Orange institutions.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne (right) was out on patrol in north Belfast ahead of the Twelfth parades


The traditional Rossnowlagh parade in the Republic of Ireland took place on 9 July.

In June, BBC Northern Ireland said that after careful consideration it had decided not to resume live coverage of Belfast's Twelfth of July parade.

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland voiced its "immense disappointment".

The Belfast demonstration will be covered in an hour-long BBC programme on Tuesday evening, featuring events at eight locations.

GB News broadcast this year's parade live from Armagh city with former Democratic Unionist Party leader Dame Arlene Foster as lead commentator.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has appealed to the public to be patient when using health and social care services over the Twelfth holiday period.

It said rising Covid infections were once again having an impact on staff absences in health and social care and that more people with Covid were being admitted to hospitals.

The Twelfth: Thousands take part in Orange Order parades


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×