Northern Ireland Twelfth celebrations details of parades and demonstrations
The countdown to the Twelfth of July is underway with preparations at an advanced stage for celebrations across Northern Ireland.
The city of Bangor will join the likes of Belfast, Ballymena, Ballinamallard, Magherafelt and Kilkeel among the 18 venues which will be playing host to processions to mark the 333rd anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.
The 18 demonstrations on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, will be held in: Ballinamallard, Ballycastle, Ballymena, Bangor, Belfast, Broughshane, Clogher, Coleraine, Comber, Dromore, Dungannon, Kilkeel, Loughbrickland, Lurgan, Magherafelt, Portglenone, Randalstown, Upper Ballinderry.
The Twelfth demonstrations will follow the traditional Rossnowlagh parade held in the Republic of Ireland on the preceding weekend.
This year the annual Donegal procession takes place on Saturday July 8.
And on July 13 there will be the annual Scarva Sham Fight.
It is one of the major events in the parading calendar with tens of thousands of visitors expected to descend on the Co Down.
There will be a parade of 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and around 70 bands. Scarva is renowned for hosting the biggest one-day event, at a single location, anywhere in Northern Ireland. The day will see the mock battle between rival monarchs William and James as well as the large-scale procession through Scarva. The parade will comprise Royal Black preceptories from Portadown, Markethill, Tandragee, Banbridge, Newry, Rathfriland, Mourne and Lower Iveagh (Dromore). The mile-long procession will stream through the village’s main street to Scarvagh House. It will leave the assembly field on the Gilford Road at 11.15am and make its way to the demesne. The Sham Fight is due to start at 1.30pm, with the religious service scheduled for 2pm.
And on the evening of the Twelfth, UTV has a special programme recapping the day.
Below you can find details on each of the locations and demonstrations...
ROSSNOWLAGH
It is expected that upwards of 50 lodges from Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan, Northern Ireland and further afield will take part in the parade which begins close to St John’s Parish Church at 12.30pm.
A religious service will be held at 3pm. The return parade will leave the demonstration field at 4.45pm. LURGAN Eleven District Lodges will be on parade, with a total of 150 Private Lodges.
The Co Armagh Demonstration can attract upwards of 40,000 spectators. Almost 70 bands will accompany the Lodges.
The Lodges of the host District will assemble at Brownlow House from before 8am, where they will be joined by the County Grand Lodge Officers.
The main parade will then commence at approximately 10am.
The parade route is Russell Drive, Mourne Road, Pollock Drive, Gilford Road, Flush Place, Queen Street (under one of the finest arches in the country), High Street, Market Street, Windsor Avenue, to the Demonstration Field at Brownlow House.
BELFAST
The parade will leave Belfast Orange Hall, at Carlisle Circus, at 10am. As is tradition, the Millar Memorial Flute band will lead the parade as it makes its way along Clifton Street, Donegall Street, Royal Avenue 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 the field at 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. The return parade is due to leave the field and proceed towards the city centre at 3.30pm.
BALLYMENA
Twenty-seven lodges and 17 accompanying bands will take part in the annual Twelfth celebrations in Ballymena. The parade will assemble at Church Street Car Park.
At 12.30pm it will proceed to the demonstration field at Wakehurst Playing Fields via Meeting House Lane, Castle Street, Church Street, Broadway, Broughshane Street, William Street, Ballymoney Street, Broadway, Wellington Street, Lower Mill Street, Pentagon, Galgorm Road, Waveney Road, Harryville Bridge, Salisbury Square, Henry Street, Larne Street, Larne Road, Wakehurst Road and Brooke Park. The return parade will leave the field at 4.30pm to return to the Protestant Hall via Brooke Park, Wakehurst Road, Queen Street, Salisbury Square, Harryville Bridge, Waveney Road and Galgorm Road. RANDALSTOWN
The parade will include around 50 bands and numerous Lambeg drummers, who will accompany up to 2,000 members in the lodges as they make their way around the town to the main Demonstration field.
The parade will move off at 11am and follow a route which takes in Shane’s Street, Lower Main Street, turning right into Neillsbrook Road, passing the rugby pitches, via Park Green and emerging onto Ahoghill Road, turning left, joining Portglenone Road at the Point.
Continuing past Memorial Orange Hall and Memorial Garden, turning right at New Street Corner, along New Street to the Demonstration Field at Dunmore Park.
The main parade will take about 1hr 15mins to make its way to the field with the last lodge leaving the assembly point at 12.15pm approx. The parade will leave the field at 3.30pm, making its way out of Dunmore Park turning right along New Street, again turning right an New Street Corner onto Lower Main street continuing along Shane’s Street to the buses. BALLYCASTLE
The parade will assemble at the football pitch on Ramoan Road to commence at 1pm. The parade will travel along Ramoan Road, Church Road, Coleraine Road, Castle Street, The Diamond, Ann Street, Rathlin Road, Strandview Road, North Street, Quay Road, War Memorial to Quay Road Playing Fields .
The Districts will parade in the following order: Ballycastle, Cloughmills, Rasharkin, Ballymoney and Bushmills. Each District will lay a wreath at the War Memorial on their way to the demonstration field.
At approximately 4pm, the parade will assemble to parade back through the town.
The order for the return parade will be Cloughmills, Rasharkin, Ballymoney, Bushmills and Ballycastle.
PORTGLENONE
Sixteen lodges will take part in the ‘Triangle’ Twelfth of July parade which will be held this year in Portglenone.
They come from the Districts of Portglenone, Ahoghill and Cullybackey, with the parade rotating around the three venues in turn.
The main parade will move off at 12.30pm from the assembly point at Portglenone Free Presbyterian Church on the Hiltonstown Road, Portglenone.
It will follow a route through the village along Hiltonstown Road, Cullybackey Road, Main Street, over the bridge to Clay Road.
Demonstration field will be on the right hand side opposite the filling station. BROUGHSHANE
The parade, which will feature two sets of Lambeg Drums and nine bands, will start in the Commons, Tullymore Road, Broughshane at noon.
It will make its way down the Tullymore Road towards the Carnlough Road, taking a right and parading on down Main Street, through the village, to Beechvale, where it will turn around and come back up Main Street.
The parade will then turn up the Church Entry and continue to the demonstration field at the corner of Buckna Road and Rathkeel Road.
Platform proceedings will start at around 2.30pm, with musical accompaniment by Aughafatten Accordion Band. LOUGHBRICKLAND It is anticipated that there will be around 10,000 attendees and over 60 Lodges and bands on the day.
The parade will begin at noon and will be led by the host District, Loughbrickland No.10.
The assembly field is on the Scarva Road and the route of the main parade will include Scarva Street, Main Street, under the A1 underpass, Grovehill Road, arriving at the Demonstration Field. The parade is approximately 1.2 miles long.
Platform proceedings begin at 2.30pm. The proceedings will conclude at approximately 3.30pm. BANGOR
Bangor will play host to the Twelfth of July celebrations for the first time since it was awarded city status in December 2022. More than 40 lodges and 30 bands will be on parade, with a selection of flute, accordion and pipe bands taking part. In a change to previous years, the platform proceedings will take place before the main parade.
Bangor District will form up at Bangor Orange Hall on Hamilton Road and make their way to the field at Ward Park from 10.45am. They will enter the field where the Platform Proceedings will get underway at 11.15am.
The main parade will commence at noon and follow a route around the town before returning to Ward Park.
The full route is: Ward Park, Gransha Road, Castle Park Road, Castle Park Avenue, Abbey Street, Newtownards Road, Church Street, Oakwood Avenue, Belfast Road, Abbey Street, Main Street , High Street, Hamilton Road, Castle Street, Gransha Road and returning to Ward Park.
The return parade will commence at approximately 3.45pm. COMBER
In total, 61 lodges from the five participating districts will be on parade accompanied by around 48 bands. Representatives from the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland and the Junior Grand Lodge will also be taking part. The parade will get underway at noon.
It will travel along Killinchy Street, High Street, Ballygowan Road, Railway Street, Orange Hall Lane, Brownlow Street, Glen Road, Mill Street, Castle Street, Bridge Street Link, Bridge Street, Comber Square, Killinchy Street and back to Park Way.
On return to the field, the Platform Proceedings will get underway at 2pm. KILKEEL It is anticipated that more than 1,700 Orangemen, women, juniors and bandsmen and women will take part in this year’s parade. The Kilkeel Lodges leave Kilkeel Orange Hall at 11am to parade the 1.5 miles to the Leestone Road on the outskirts of the town.
There, they join with the remainder of the District and return to Kilkeel finishing at Queen Elizabeth II Park on the Manse Road. Platform Proceedings begin at 2.15pm. The District will leave to commence the homeward parade at 4pm. BALLINAMALLARD
The Co Fermanagh Twelfth of July demonstration will take place in Ballinamallard this year.
Lodges and bands will move off at 11.45am from the assembly point at Ballinamallard United FC on the Enniskillen Road before proceeding along the approximate one-mile route through the village to the demonstration field on the Makenny Road. The return parade is due to begin at approximately 2.45pm. COLERAINE The main parade will leave from Union Street at noon following a route through the town - Railway Road, Long Commons, Beresford Road, Blindgate Street, Dunmore Street, New Row, Church Street, The Diamond (left hand side), Bridge Street, Old Bridge, Waterside, Castlerock Road, Kings Road, Carthall Road - and out to the demonstration field on Wheatsheaf Road.
Platform Proceedings in the field will commence at 2pm. MAGHERAFELT The main parade will move off at noon led by the County Officers and Magherafelt District LOL No 3.
The parade will continue along the one- and-a-half mile route to the field on the Moneymore Road, parading along the Castledawson Road, Broad Street, the Diamond, Queen Street and Moneymore Road.
Following the platform proceedings, parades will form up and leave the field at 3.30pm, making the return journey back to the buses on the Castledawson Road. DUNGANNON In total, seven Districts from the Mid Ulster/South Tyrone area will parade with 64 lodges and 41 bands.
The Districts on parade are Killyman, Stewartstown, Cookstown, Coagh, Pomeroy, Castlecaulfield and Benburb. This year’s parade will use one field, with Lord Northland Memorial Park providing the Assembly and Demonstration point.
The main parade will leave Lord Northland Memorial Park and travel along Park Lake Road, Moy Road, Ranfurly Road, Church Street, around the War Memorial in Market Square, Scotch Street, Railway Road, Milltown, Brooke Street, Wellington Road and back along Moy Road and Park Lake Road.
The day’s proceedings will begin at noon with a short religious service. The parade will step off at 1pm. CLOGHER The parade will commence on Station Road at 12.15pm, making its way through the town to the Demonstration field.
Bands and Lodge members will assemble at the Livestock Mart Car Park. The procession on leaving the car park will make its way along Station Road, turning right unto Main Street.
The parade will proceed along the length of Main Street leaving the town on the Fivemiletown Road and making its way to Dunwoody’s Hill adjacent to the cricket pitch. Platform proceedings take the form of a religious service starting at 2.15pm.
The return parade will leave the Demonstration field at 4.15pm and retrace the route back to Station Road. DROMORE
The parade, which is approximately two miles, will move off from the Assembly Field on the Omagh Road at 12.30pm.
It will follow a route along Omagh Road, Main Street, Galbally Road to Demonstration Field at Trillick/Fintona Road junction.
The platform proceedings in the field will get underway at 2pm. The return parade will leave the field at 4pm. UPPER BALLINDERRY
The parade will start at 11.30am from the assembly field at the Ballinderry Road, Upper Ballinderry side. It will turn right onto the Glenavy Road at the Junction of the A26 parade up the Glenavy Road turn left onto North Street parade down short stop at the War Memorial Hall to lay a wreath.
At the bottom of North Street turn right at antiques shop past Ballinderry Parish Church to the Twelfth field on Lower Ballinderry Road.
Leading the way along the 1.3-mile route will be the host District, Ballinderry LOL No. 3. At the platform there will be a religious service and speeches, which will get underway at 2pm. The return parade will commence at 4.30pm approximately.
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