With July 12th falling on a Sunday, Orange Order parades come alive on the 13th
Northern Ireland held its annual Orange Order parades on Monday, July 13th, due to the 12th falling on a Sunday. The event, which commemorates the Battle of the Boyne, drew large crowds and provided a significant economic boost to local villages like Hillsborough.
Why it matters
These parades are a central, albeit sometimes controversial, aspect of Northern Irish cultural and political identity, reflecting historical sectarian divisions.
Deckchairs lined the length of Hillsborough village in Co Down hours before the arrival of an Orange Order parade on Monday.
“People want to get their spots early, those seats are out from 8am,” says artisan cafe owner, David Irvine.
The crowds are four deep by noon when the sound of the Dunmurry Protestant Boys Flute Band signals the start of their Twelfth celebrations.
Irvine is visibly perspiring on the scorching hot street.
“We were rammed this morning. Business is 150 per cent up on this time last week,” he says.
“The parades here are very different to the city and bigger towns”.
Red, white and blue bunting flutter overhead as more than 60 Orange Order lodges accompanied by dozens of pipe, accordion and flute bands wind their way along Main Street towards Hillsborough Fort.
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