Twelfth parades pass off peacefully

Thousands of Orange Order members have taken to the streets across Northern Ireland to mark the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season.

This year's Twelfth of July parades were smaller than usual and locally based due to public health concerns.

Organisers stuck to plans to have parades of no more than 500 people, even though the limit on public gatherings imposed due to Covid-19 has been removed.

The normal 18 main events were replaced by more than 100 local parades in a number of cities, towns and villages.

The Order said organising smaller parades was the best way to ensure the demonstrations went ahead.

As well as the reduced size of the parades, there were fewer spectators lining the roads this year.

The Twelfth parades mark the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne, north of Dublin, in 1690 - a triumph that secured a Protestant line of succession to the British Crown.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson marched with the Ballinran Orange Lodge in Kilkeel, Co Down.

He told the PA news agency: This is the community in which I grew up, my family still live here and it is great to come back and to meet people that I haven't met up with in years.

It is a very much scaled-down parade of what it would normally be but it is good to see some parading resuming on the Twelfth. I think people are just glad to have a day out.''

The vast majority of Twelfth events are peaceful, although in some years there have been flashpoints involving Orange lodges and nationalist residents.

The Parades Commission, which rules on contentious gatherings in Northern Ireland, had imposed conditions on a number of marches.

Up to 2,000 police officers were on duty throughout the day, but no trouble was reported.

There was a significant police presence for parades in Belfast on Monday through the Ardoyne area and past St Patrick's Catholic Church on Donegall Street.

Assistant Chief Constable Jonathan Roberts said: I am pleased that today has passed without incident.

I would like to thank and acknowledge all of the people who helped make this a safe and enjoyable day for many.

We will be continuing our duties throughout the night to keep our communities safe.''

In Belfast, a number of small parades took place before the bands gathered at Carlisle Circus ahead of the march through the city centre and on to Shaw's Bridge.

Traditionally, parade participants congregate at fields where they hear speeches and prayers delivered by senior Orangemen before a return march, but that did not happen this year.

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland had called on everyone attending a parade to respect Covid-19 guidelines.

Last year's Twelfth of July parades were cancelled due to the pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings.

The Twelfth parades were preceded by the traditional burning of Eleventh Night bonfires, which this year took place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

A Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) spokesman said: Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has dealt with a significant increase in emergency calls and mobilisations to bonfire-related incidents over July 9, 10 and 11.

The service was exceptionally busy on each of the three nights, with direct intervention required by NIFRS to protect properties from radiated heat, embers, etc from the bonfires.''

A 17-year-old boy is in a critical condition after he suffered burns to his face and body at a bonfire in Silverstream Crescent, north Belfast.

Sir Jeffrey condemned the burning of Irish tricolour flags on some bonfires.

He said: I take a very clear view that if we want to have people respecting our culture and our traditions then we need to show respect to others. I don't want to see election posters, flags and effigies burnt on bonfires. I think we need to move beyond that.''