Over 500,000 expected to attend Twelfth demonstrations across Northern Ireland

The Orange Order is anticipating around half a million people to attend the annual Twelfth of July celebrations across Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

Belfast, Armagh and Newry will each host large demonstrations as the Orange Institution returns to its traditional celebrations for 2022. This year will mark a return to traditional parading after two years of alternative celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eighteen venues in Northern Ireland will play host to processions to mark the 332nd anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

A large Scottish contingent is expected in Belfast, as the city hosts the longest Twelfth parade on the day, with participants walking over six miles to the field. The capital city and Ballymena are the only venues where Twelfth demonstrations occur annually. Other sizeable parades will take place in Enniskillen (Fermanagh), Castlecaulfield (Tyrone), Limavady (Londonderry) and Newry (Down). Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Edward Stevenson, welcomed the return of the traditional parades. “I am delighted that the Orange Institution will return to its traditional Twelfth of July celebrations this year,” he said. “In 2020 and 2021 we found alternative ways to mark the Twelfth, firstly with a ‘Twelfth at Home’ and then a ‘Twelfth near Home’, which featured smaller, localised parades. “While I commend everyone for participating in these initiatives, which were designed to combat the spread of Covid-19, I’m sure we will all be delighted to return to our traditional parades.”

UTV will have coverage of the Twelfth parades on UTV Live on Tuesday evening and later during a special half hour programme 10.45pm.

Parade details

ARMAGH The Lodges will assemble on The Mall from 9am where they will be joined by County Grand Lodge Officers. They will then parade to the Armagh War Memorial at 9.45am to lay a wreath and be joined by the first of the visiting Districts. The main parade, headed by Tassagh Silver Band and Tassagh True Blues LOL 49, will then commence at approximately 10am.

Armagh District will be followed by Richhill, Killylea, Lurgan, Newtownhamilton and Portadown, Districts; the remainder of the Districts, namely, Markethill, Bessbrook, Keady, Tandragee and Loughgall will parade as they arrive, and by 12.30pm, all Districts should be in the Demonstration Field at Hamiltonsbawn Road.

The chair will be taken at 1.45pm by the County Grand Master, Rt Wor Bro Denis J Watson JP, and proceedings will commence with the traditional religious service, conducted by Wor. Bro. Rev. Dr. Alan McCann, County Grand Chaplain.

The return parade is scheduled to commence from the Demonstration Field at 3pm, with Lurgan District LOL No. 6 being the first to leave. BELFAST The parade to mark the 332nd anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in the capital city will leave Belfast Orange Hall, at Carlisle Circus, at 10am.

Millar Memorial Flute band will lead the parade as it makes its way along Clifton Street, Donegal Street, Royal Avenue, Castle Junction and Donegall Place to Belfast City Hall.

A wreath laying ceremony will take place at the Cenotaph in the grounds of the City Hall shortly before 10.30am and the parade will then proceed via Donegall Square West, Bedford Street, Dublin Road, Shaftsbury Square, Bradbury Place, Lisburn Road, Balmoral Avenue and Malone Road to Barnett’s Demesne.

Orangemen and women representing a total of nine districts – accompanied by approximately 60 bands – will walk the six-mile route, traditionally the longest of all the Twelfth demonstrations.

The platform proceedings at Barnett’s Demesne will begin at 2.30pm and the chairman for the afternoon will be the County Grand Master, Spencer Beattie. Guest speaker will by Rt. Worthy Bro. Edward McGonnell.

The return parade is due to leave the field and proceed towards the city centre at 3.30pm. BALLYMENA Twenty-seven lodges and 15 accompanying bands will take part in the annual Twelfth celebrations in Ballymena.

Orangemen and bands, accompanied by a number of Lambeg drums, will assemble at Waveney Road Car park.

At 12.30pm they will proceed to the demonstration field at Ballee Playing Fields via Waveney Road, Galgorm Road, Pentagon, Lower Mill Street, Wellington Street, Ballymoney Street, William Street, Broughshane Street, Broadway, Church Street, Bridge Street, Harryville Bridge, Salisbury Square, Queens Street, Antrim Road and Ballee Road West.

The religious service will be led by Grand Chaplain Grand Chaplain Wor. Bro. Rev. Ian McClean with Most Wor. Bro. Henry Dunbar from Scotland the guest speaker.

The return parade will get underway at 4.30pm. ANTRIM Sixty-eight lodges and around 60 bands will gather in Antrim as the town plays host to the East Antrim Twelfth of July Demonstration for the first time since 2010.

The parade will depart from Fountain Hill at 11am and follow a route via Fountain Street, Church Street, High Street, Bridge Street, Dublin Road, Randalstown Road, to the demonstration field at Castle Road.

The religious service will be led by Chaplain Rev. Peter Blake of All Saints Church of Ireland, Antrim. The return parade will begin at 4pm.

BUSHMILLS The most senior Orangeman in Ireland will be the guest speaker at the Twelfth of July celebrations in Bushmills.

The Grand Master Most Wor. Bro. Edward Stevenson will join Brethren from 43 lodges representing five districts – Bushmills LOL No. 21, Ballycastle LOL No. 23, Ballymoney LOL No. 16, Cloughmills LOL No. 14 and Rasharkin LOL No. 5 – taking part in the North Antrim demonstration. Three lodges from the Ladies’ Association will also take part. Bushmills’ Twelfth of July parade will commence at 1pm with the return leg starting at 3.30pm.

A total of thirty-seven bands will feature in the parade, including flute, accordion and pipe bands.

The route for the outward leg is Castlecatt Road and Main Street before it finishes at the traditional demonstration field – known locally as the “Clay Field” – on the Whitepark Road. The return parade is the reverse of this.

Platform speakers will include the Grand Master Most Wor. Bro. Edward Stevenson and Lord Rogan. The religious service will be carried out by the Rev. Brother Campbell Mulvenna.

The parade will be headed by Bushmills District Officers and invited guests, including the Grand Master and Lord Rogan, and some County officers. They will be accompanied by Dunseverick Accordion Band.

Dunseverick LOL 528 is the first lodge on parade given that it is the oldest lodge in the district; their warrant was issued in 1824 and their current Orange hall was built by miners on their return from the Clondyke in 1906. It sits close to Dunseverick Castle.

Joining them will be officers and members of Ballintoy LOL 803 whose recently refurbished Orange hall overlooks Ballintoy Parish Church, Sheep Island and Rathlin Island.

Another lodge of note is Giant’s Causeway LOL 1195. They had Private Robert Quigg as a member of their ranks. He won the Victoria Cross for gallantry at the Somme and his statue stands proudly within the Village. It was unveiled in June 2016 by Her Majesty The Queen and her husband, the late Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh.

At the head of the parade will be King William on his horse and Mary, as well as a boat containing a young William and Mary and several young Dutch Blue Guards, similar to what would have arrived in Ireland on the way to the Battle of the Boyne.

It is also planned to have two Old Bushmills Distillery barrels full of Boyne water uncorked on Main Street. These will be uncorked by the Grand Master Edward Stevenson and Bushmills District Worshipful District Master, Bro. Wesley Craig. CULLYBACKEY Sixteen lodges will take part in the ‘Triangle’ Twelfth of July parade which will be held this year in Cullybackey. In other years the hosts will be either the districts of Ahoghill or Portglenone.

The parade, which will feature flute and accordion bands and several lambeg drums, will assemble at the Methodist Church in Cullybackey from 12noon in preparation to leave at 12.30pm.

The religious service in the demonstration field will be led by District Chaplain Rev. Samuel McKay. GLENARM The Braid Twelfth of July celebrations will be going country in Glenarm this year.

Performing in the field will be Kenny Archer and other country music stars including Trevor Dixon and Kenny Paul.

The 11 lodges and their accompanying bands will leave from Shore Road at noon making its way up round Mark Street, down the Vennel and up Straidkilly Road to the field.

The religious speaker on the platform is Rev. Stephen Kennedy, with Danny Kennedy providing the political speech.

Glenarm LOL 1121 are the host lodge this year and will lead the parade which also features pipe bands, accordion bands, flute bands and two sets of Lambeg drums.

Broughshane LOL 503 have erected a new arch in Broughshane village this year. The return parade will get underway at 4pm. MAGHERAGALL

Upwards of 2,000 Orangemen and women are expected to be on parade in Magheragall for the South Antrim Combine demonstration. Those from seven districts will take part – Lisburn, Glenavy, Magheragall, Hillsborough, Derriaghy, Ballinderry and Aghalee.

The parade, which will cover a route of 1.7miles, will leave the assembly area in Enterprise Crescent at 11.30am and includes more than 20 bands and a large selection of lambeg drums.

Leading the way will be Magheragall District LOL No. 9 accompanied by the lambeg drums from LOL 121 Broomedge.

At the demonstration field off the Ballinderry Road, County Grand Master of Antrim Rt. Wor. Bro. Maurice Kirkwood PDM will be proposing the resolutions. District Chaplain Wor. Bro. Mark Jamison PDM will conduct the religious service.

Leslie Memorial LOL 206 - one of the largest lodges in County Antrim - will be on parade with a new banner which was unfurled on 24th June 2022. The lodge’s last banner was unfurled 1/6/90 (1690). Children’s Entertainment and live music will be in the field before the parade arrives and again before and after the platform proceedings.

The return parade will commence at 4pm approximately. NEWRY Upwards of 100 lodges, accompanied by around 80 bands, will take part in the Twelfth celebrations at Newry - watched by thousands of spectators - in what is expected to be the largest Twelfth parade in Co Down.

Orangemen and women of host district, Newry, will be joined by their contemporaries from Banbridge, Bann Valley, Lower Iveagh, Lower Iveagh West, Rathfriland, Loughbrickland, and Gilford.

The parade will assemble at Newry High School and at 11.45am the new South-West Down Area Conference Standard will be dedicated and unfurled.

The parade will get underway at noon and will travel via Ashgrove Road, Downshire Road, Kildare Street, Hill Street, Margaret Street, The Mall, Bank Parade, Sugar Island, Trevor Hill, Downshire Road, Belfast Road, Ardmore/Shandon Park, Cloghanrmer Road, A28 to the demonstration field.

The platform proceedings in the field will commence at 2.15pm led by Wor. Bro. Gary Ferris. District Chaplain Wor. Bro. Norman Hutton will lead a short religious service. At the conclusion of the proceedings, the South-West Down Area Conference Standard will be presented to the Standard Bearer of Loughbrickland District LOL No. 10. The return parade will get underway at 4pm. GREYABBEY The village of Greyabbey on the shores of Strangford Lough will play host to a Twelfth of July parade for the first time in more than 50 years.

More than 40 lodges accompanied by 30 bands, three Ladies Lodges and four junior lodges will be on parade lead by the Brethren of Greyabbey OL 1592 and Greyabbey Flute Band.

As an Orange Lodge, Greyabbey LOL 1592 can trace its history back to the year 1865, when the Worshipful Master was named in the County Down Grand Orange Lodge Report as William Woods. The Lodge sits in Greyabbey Orange Hall which was purchased by the Lodge in 1903 and is used by Greyabbey Flute Band for band practice and by the Abbey Highland Dancers.

The parade will leave the Assembly Field at Spring Road at 12noon and will follow a route along Newtownards Road, Main Street, Church Street through St. Saviour’s Church Car Park (beside The Abbey) to the Field in Rosemount Estate behind The Church.

The return parade will begin at 4.30pm.

BALLYGOWAN The village of Ballygowan will play host to Twelfth of July celebrations for the first time since 2010. Saintfield District will be joined by Comber, Lecale, Ballynahinch and Castlewellan. In total, 61 lodges from the five participating districts will be on parade accompanied by around 48 bands.

Leading the parade, which gets underway at noon, will be Barnamaghery LOL No. 11 accompanied by Wellington Memorial Silver Band.

The route will leave Ravara Road at noon travelling along Saintfield Road, Meadow Way, Oakdale, Prospect Road, Tullygarvan Road, Belfast Road, Saintfield Road and returning to Ravara Road.

Also featuring in the parade will be the North Down Dragoons, comprising cavalry and foot soldiers in military costume of the Williamite Period. The religious service in the field will be led by Bro. Rev. Andrew Murray, LOL 1366. Guest speaker is Grand Chaplain Rev. Brother Stanley Gamble. The return parade begins at 4.15pm.

BALLYMARTIN More than 1,000 Orangemen from Mourne District LOL No. 6 will take part in one of the most scenic Twelfth parades in Northern Ireland with the Mourne Mountains and the Irish Sea providing the setting.

Ballymageogh LOL 1036 is to lead the parade with Ballymageogh Accordion Band. The Kilkeel Lodges leave Kilkeel Orange Hall at 10.45am to parade the three miles to Ballymartin. There, they join with the remainder of the District and return to the Demonstration field where friends and family will join the brethren.

The Platform Proceedings begin at 2.15pm. The Platform Party will include Mourne District Officers Worshipful District Master Bro. Neil Cousins; Deputy District Master Bro. William Baillie; District Chaplain Bro. Eric Niblock; District Secretary Bro. Stephen Nicholson; District Treasurer Bro. William Burns; and Bro. Gary Bingham.

The district will leave for the homeward parade at 4pm. ENNISKILLEN The Fermanagh parade traditionally encompasses the entire county with those taking part from Newtownbutler, Lisbellaw, Brookeborough, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen, Ballinamallard, Kinawley, Glenawley, Lisnarick, Pettigo, Magheraboy, Church Hill, Maguiresbridge, Garrison and Tempo districts.

The Sisters of Women’s Districts 1, 2 and 3, Junior Lodges from South Fermanagh, Brookeborough, Maguiresbridge, Ballinamallard and South Fermanagh Junior Girls Lodge will also be on parade.

Enniskillen will also play host to visiting lodges from the Republic of Ireland, representing Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan and their bands.

The parade, which will be led by Maguiresbridge District Officers and Maguiresbridge Silver Band, will form up in the Royal British Legion Car Park before leaving at noon and following a route along Wellington Road, Belmore Street, East Bridge Street, Townhall Street, High Street, Church Street, Darling Street, Castle Street, Wellington Road to Castle Car Park. County Grand Chaplain Rev. Rodney Beacom will lead the religious service in the field before the parade at approximately 3.30pm.

LIMAVADY The Twelfth of July returns to Roe Valley with Limavady District LOL No. 6 hosting the demonstration for the first time in the town since 2016.

The parade will leave from Church Street at noon lead by Limavady District LOL No.6, The City Grand Lodge of Londonderry, Coleraine District LOL No.2 and Macosquin District LOL No.8 and parade through the town centre to the Orange Field at Roemill Road with 40 bands taking part.

Assistant Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland and District Master of Limavady District LOL No. 6 Rt. Wor. Bro. Mark Smyth will chair platform proceedings. The guest speaker will be Rt. Wor. Bro. Stuart Brooker, Past Assistant Grand Master, Past County Grand Master County Fermanagh.

The return parade starts at 3.15pm with the Limavady Lodges breaking ranks on Protestant Street to allow visitors to pass through to their buses on Church Street. TOBERMORE There will be a total of eight districts on parade – Garvagh, Castledawson, Magherafelt, Kilrea, Ballyronan, Tamlaght O’Crilly, Moneymore and the hosts Tobermore District LOL No. 11. They will be joined by two Junior lodges and a range of pipe, flute and accordion bands.

The parade will start from Golf Driving Range, Maghera Road at noon. The route will be Maghera Road, Main Street and Wood Road to the Demonstration Field.

A religious service will take place in the Demonstration Field at 2pm where the service will be led by Rev. Bro. Nigel Kane, DGC, and the address will be by Rev. Bro. Trevor Boyd, loyal Presbyterian minister and Chaplain of Pomeroy District in Co. Tyrone.

The guest speaker at the demonstration will be Deputy Grand Master Wor. Bro. Harold Henning. CASTLECAULFIELD The Historic South Tyrone Village of Castlecaulfield will host the biggest Twelfth Demonstration in Co. Tyrone, where as many as 40,000 Spectators are expected to enjoy the festivities.

Orange members from the Districts of Killyman, Stewartstown, Cookstown, Pomeroy, Coagh and Benburb, accompanied by local Women's and Junior Lodges, will join with the host district Castlecaulfield as upwards of 70 Lodges and over 50 bands comprising of – Silver, Accordion, Pipe and Flute – will participate in the annual gathering.

The main parade will move off at 12.30pm from the Assembly Field situated on the Donaghmore Road, headed by Castlecaulfield's own WJ Armstrong Memorial Pipe Band and Lodge LOL 45.

It will proceed via Drumrainey Road and Main Street to the Demonstration Field on Reaskcor Road.

The Platform Proceedings will commence at 2pm in the demonstration field, where the Religious Service will be conducted by Deputy County Tyrone Grand Chaplain and District Chaplain of the Host District Bro. Rev. Mark Wilson and the County Tyrone Grand Master Rt. Wor. Bro. Robert TA Abernethy will be the Keynote Speaker.

The Return Parade will leave the Demonstration Field again at 3.30pm onwards and parade back through the village proceeding along Reaskcor Road and Main Street, to various dispersal points. AUGHNACLOY The parade will be moving off at 12.40pm from the Assembly point on the Dungannon Road, in the vicinity of Aughnacloy College/Council Playing Fields, travelling along Moore Street to the Augher Road and will return to the grounds of Aughnacloy College for refreshments.

The religious service will be led by the Rev. Maurice Armstrong.

The return parade will get underway at 3.30pm returning to the assembly point for dispersal. OMAGH The parade will get underway at 12.30pm led by Strabane District and will follow a three-mile route, leaving Campsie Playing Fields, King James Bridge, Dublin Road, Market Street, High Street, John Street, Church Street, George Street, High Street, Bridge Street, Mountjoy Road, Drumragh Avenue, Market Street, Campsie Road, Crevenagh Road and back into Campsie Playing Fields.

The platform proceedings will include main speaker Deputy County Grand Master Wor. Bro. Derek Reaney, Rev. James Porter, LOL 168 Rev. Chris Carson, Lol 784.

The return parade will get underway at 4pm.

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