500,000 set to attend 2021 Twelfth of July parades

The normal 18 main events have been replaced by more than 100 local parades.

Participants in an Orange Order Parade in Portadown.
Author: Sarah MckinleyPublished 12th Jul 2021
Last updated 12th Jul 2021

Twelfth of July parades are back today, Monday, after the main event of the Orange Order marching season could not take place in public last year.

Hundreds of thousands of Orangemen, band-members and spectators are expected to take to the streets across Northern Ireland today.

This year, the anniversary of Protestant King William of Orange’s victory over Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 coincides with Northern Irelands centenary year.

However, this year's parades will be smaller and more localised in a bid to host some 500,000 people while mitigating the risks of covid-19.

The normal 18 main events have been replaced by more than 100 local parades, and gatherings in “the field” afterwards for speeches and prayers will not be allowed.

A senior Orangeman has told Downtown Cool FM news “it feels great” to be back.

“The membership didn’t have a traditional Twelfth last year, it was the Twelfth at home and thankfully everybody bought into that,” said Grand Secretary at the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Rev. Mervyn Gibson.

“It’s good to get back out on the streets again – now not to our normal Twelfth – because this year we’re having it near home.

“There’ll be at least 100 parades across Northern Ireland that people can go and see.

“The simple reason for that is, there are hundreds of thousands of people who attend the Twelfth and we need to spread those crowds across NI to prevent the community transmission of covid.”

The Grand Secretary said that although the event is about commemorating the events of 1690, it is also the anniversary of the creation of Northern Ireland this year.

For nationalists however, the centenary is not cause for celebration, but instead marks 100 years of partition of the island of Ireland.

Rev. Gibson said: “This year it’s the centennial of Northern Ireland. We’ve 100 years to commemorate and because of covid in the first half of the year there wasn’t much happening but now people are getting into the centennial mode as well.”

“So the Twelfth will have a double meaning for us this year."

Where and when are the parades this year?

Barnett's Demesne: 10am
Ormeau: 11am
North Belfast: 11am
East Belfast: 11.50am
Sandy Row: 11.30am
Shankill: 11.30am

Ahoghill: 11.30am
Antrim: 11.30am
Armoy: 11.30am
Ballyclare: 11.30am
Ballymena: 12pm
Ballymoney: 11.30am
Broomhedge: 11.30am
Broughshane: 12pm
Bushmills: 11am
Carrickfergus: 11am
Cloughfern: 12pm
Cloughmills: 11am
Cullybackey: 12.30pm
Derriaghy: 11.30am
Glenavy: 11.30am
Glengormley: 11.30am
Larne: 11.30am
Lisburn: 11.30am
Maghaberry: 11.30am
Portglenone: 11.15am
Randalstown: 10.20am
Rasharkin: 11.30am

Armagh:11.30am
Killylea: 11.30am
Loughgall: 11.30am
Lurgan: 11.30am
Markethill: 11.30am
Newtownhamilton: 12pm
Portadown: 11.30am
Richhill: 11.30am
Tandragee: 12pm

Ballynahinch: 12:30pm
Banbridge: 12pm
Bangor: 11am
Comber: 12:30pm
Dromore: 11.30am
Dundrum :11am
Gilford: 11.30am
Hillsborough: 12pm
Holywood: 11.30am
Kilkeel: 11.30am
Killyleagh: 12pm
Loughbrickland: 10:30am
Magheralin: 11.30am
Newry: 11.30am
Newtownards: 12pm
Rathfriland: 11am
Saintfield: 11am

Ballinamallard: 12pm
Brookeborough: 11am
Enniskillen: 12pm
Kesh: 12:20pm
Magheraveely: 11.30am
Maguiresbridge: 12pm
Monea: 12pm

Ballyronan: 11:30am
Coleraine: 11:30am
Kilrea: 11am
Limavady: 11:30am
Macosquin: 11am
Maghera: 12pm
Magherafelt: 11:30am
Moneymore: 11:30am
Tamlaght O'Crilly/Innisrush: 11.15am
Tobermore: 11:30am
Cumber Claudy: No time given
Londonderry Fountain Estate: 12pm
Londonderry Waterside: 11.45am

Artigarvan: 11.30am
Aughnacloy: 12:30pm
Castlecaulfield: 12:30pm
Castlederg: 12.30pm
Coagh: 12pm
Cookstown: 11:30am
Dungannon: 12pm
Dyan: 11:30am
Fivemiletown: 12:45pm
Newtownstewart: 12:30pm
Omagh: 12:30pm
Pomeroy: 12:45pm
Sandholes: 12:30pm
Sixmilecross: 12:30pm
Trillick: 12:30pm

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