Locations and times of 18 Grand Orange Lodge Twelfth demonstrations in Northern Ireland as well as Independent Loyal Orange Institution parade

Preparations are at an advanced stage for the biggest day in the parading calendar, with upwards of an estimated half-a-million people expected to participate or spectate in what is widely regarded as one of the largest annual festivals in Europe.

The County Armagh demonstration – which will be held in Lurgan this year – is firmly established as the largest Orange gathering in the world.

This year the GB News cameras will be focusing on Belfast, as the city hosts the longest Twelfth parade on the day, with participants walking over six miles to the field.

Grand Master Edward Stevenson, who will be at the Loughbrickland demonstration, said: “I know that tens of thousands of people eagerly look forward to participating in our parades each year – and I am one of them.

“I do not believe there is any other event on these islands that can bring such vast numbers of people onto the streets as our processions, either by taking part or simply to watch them go by.

“It is a custom which has been maintained for over 200 years, passed through generations, and will continue to be upheld for many years to come.”

The 18 demonstrations on Wednesday 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 follow the traditional Rossnowlagh parade which is held in Donegal today.

The Independent Loyal Orange Institution will hold its annual parade on Wednesday in Rasharkin.

ROSSNOWLAGH

It is expected that upwards of 50 lodges from Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan, as well as visiting Orangemen from 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, only yards from the rolling breakers of the Atlantic, will be held at 3pm. The service will be conducted by the Rev Brian Russell, Rector of Drumholm Parish.

A collection will be held on the day in aid of Orange charities.

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 and almost 5,000 brethren. In addition, ladies from the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland will take part, along with a number of Junior Boys and Junior Girls lodges.

The Co Armagh Demonstration can attract upwards of 40,000 spectators.

Almost 70 bands will accompany the lodges and some of the finest pipe, accordion, silver and flute bands in the country will be on parade.

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. After the service and act of remembrance, they will parade to the town War Memorial at 8am to lay a wreath.

The main parade, headed by Upper Bann Fusiliers Flute Band and Bleary Crimson Star LOL 12, will then begin at approximately 10am.

The return parade starts at 2.45pm from Brownlow House.

BELFAST

The parade to mark the 333rd anniversary King William III’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland’s capital city will leave Belfast Orange Hall at Carlisle Circus at 10am.

As is tradition, the Millar Memorial Flute band will lead the parade.

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 to the field at Barnett’s Demesne, where the platform proceedings 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 and Lambeg drums will take part in the annual Twelfth celebrations in Ballymena.

There will also be two Ladies lodges and two Junior lodges on parade.

This year the honour of hosting the parade belongs to the members of Ballykeel LOL 472.

The parade will assemble at Church Street Car Park at 12.30pm it will proceed to the demonstration field at Wakehurst Playing Fields.

The return parade will leave the field at 4.30pm to return to the Protestant Hall.

RANDALSTOWN

Randalstown District LOL No 22 welcomes the East Antrim Combine to Randalstown this year to celebrate the Twelfth.

The combine comprises nine district lodges from Larne, Sixmilewater, Staffordstown, Carrickfergus, Cloughfern, Carnmoney, Antrim, Killead and will be led by host district, Randalstown.

The parade which begins at 11am 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 at Dunmore Park.

The main parade will take about more than an hour 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.

BALLYCASTLE

The annual North Antrim demonstration this year will be hosted by Ballycastle District LOL No 23 and in the picturesque coastal town.

The other North Antrim districts of Ballymoney, Bushmills, Cloughmills and Rasharkin will join with their Ballycastle brethren with a total of 43 lodges on parade accompanied by 29 bands and six sets of Lambeg drums.

Also on parade will be Rawlins White Memorial LOL 803 from Cardiff. They will be accompanying Moyarget Chosen Few LOL 1196, who will be celebrating their 200th anniversary next year.

The parade will assemble at the football pitch on Ramoan Road to march at 1pm to Quay Road Playing Fields where platform proceedings will commence at around 3pm.

At approximately 4pm, the parade will assemble to parade back through the town.

PORTGLENONE

Sixteen lodges will take part in the ‘Triangle’ Twelfth of July parade which will be held in Portglenone.

The main parade will move off at 12.30pm from the assembly point at Portglenone Free Presbyterian Church on the Hiltonstown Road, Portglenone.

The Twelfth celebrations in Portglenone will have an extra special significance for one participating lodge as it marks a huge milestone year.

The Brethren of Milltown True Blues LOL 205 from the host Portglenone District LOL No 7 are this year celebrating their 225th anniversary.

BROUGHSHANE

The Braid Twelfth of July celebrations will be held in Broughshane, with Aughafatten True Blues LOL 1184 having the honour of being the host lodge.

The parade, which will feature two sets of Lambeg drums and nine bands, will start in the Commons, Tullymore Road, Broughshane at 12noon and proceed 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.

The speakers on the day will be TUV Leader Jim Allister and Grand Chaplain Rev David Reid, of Ardstraw Presbyterian Church.

Following the platform proceedings, the parade will reform at 4pm to return to the Commons.

LOUGHBRICKLAND

It is anticipated that the village of Loughbrickland – where King William and his troops stopped on their way to the Boyne – will host around 10,000 attendees and over 60 lodges and bands on the Twelfth.

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 where platform proceedings begin at 2.30pm.

The proceedings will conclude at approximately 3.30pm when the South West Down Area Conference Standard will be passed to the Standard Bearer of Gilford District LOL No 13.

The return parade will start at 4pm.

BANGOR

Bangor will play host to the Twelfth of July celebrations for the first time since it was awarded city status in December last year.

The seaside venue will welcome brethren from Newtownards, Upper Ards, Holywood districts as well as the hosts, Bangor District LOL No. 18.

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 with proceedings due to get underway at 11.15am.

The main parade will begin at noon and follow a route around the town before returning to Ward Park where there will be a range of activities and entertainment.

The return parade begins at 3.45pm.

COMBER

The brethren of Comber District will be welcoming their peers from Saintfield, Lecale, Ballynahinch and Castlewellan districts.

In total, 61 lodges from the five participating districts will be on parade accompanied by around 48 bands.

A feature of the Comber demonstration is the centralised ‘field’ at Park Way Playing Fields and a compact parade route which weaves it's way around the town centre.

The parade will get underway at 12noon and on return to the field, the platform proceedings will begin at 2pm.

Comber District will dedicate a new District Orange arch ahead of this year’s Twelfth parade. Having not had an arch erected in the town for nearly 20 years, the host district is excited to re-establish this important Orange tradition in Comber.

KILKEEL

More than 1,000 Orangemen from Mourne District LOL No 6 will partake in one of the most scenic Twelfth parades in Northern Ireland.

The magnificent backdrop of the Mourne Mountains and the Irish Sea provide the perfect setting for the procession.

It is anticipated that more than 1,700 Orangemen, women, juniors and bandsmen and women will take part in this year’s parade in Kilkeel, cheered on by a crowd in excess of 3,000 people.

The lodges leave Kilkeel Orange Hall at 11am, finishing at Queen Elizabeth II Park on the Manse Road.

Following refreshments, the platform proceedings begin at 2.15pm. The district begins the homeward parade at 4pm.

BALLINAMALLARD

Large crowds are expected to be in attendance, including many tourists and visitors to the Lakeland county, for what is always a wonderful Twelfth of July celebration in Ballinamallard.

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 main proceedings will begin at 2pm and the return parade is due to start at 2.45pm.

COLERAINE

The Twelfth celebrations in Coleraine, hosted by Macosquin District LOL No 8, are expected to attract a crowd in the region of 50,000 people.

The main parade will leave from Union Street at noon following a route through the town to the demonstration field on Wheatsheaf Road.

Platform proceedings in the field will commence at 2pm and the return parade will leave the field at 3.30pm led by Macosquin District.

MAGHERAFELT

Taking in seven surrounding Districts – Ballyronan, Castledawson, Garvagh, Kilrea, Moneymore, Tamlaght O’Crilly, Tobermore and the host district Magherafelt – this promises to be a family orientated Twelfth of July.

The main parade will move off at 12noon to the field on the Moneymore Road where platform proceedings get underway at 2pm.

The main speaker will be David Scott, outreach officer at the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland.

The return parade will leave the field at 3.30pm.

DUNGANNON

Killyman District LOL No 1 is hosting the Twelfth of July demonstration in Dungannon this year.

In total, seven Districts from the Mid Ulster/South Tyrone area will parade with 64 lodges and 41 bands.

This year’s parade will use one field, with Lord Northland Memorial Park providing the assembly and demonstration point.

The day’s proceedings will begin at noon with a short religious service and the parade will set off at 1pm.

CLOGHER

The Clogher Valley Twelfth is one of the smaller Twelfth celebrations with the two local districts, Fivemiletown and Annahoe, joined by the visiting lodges from Trauagh District in Co Monaghan.

The parade begins on Station Road at 12.15pm, making its way through the town to the demonstration field at 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 field at 4.15pm .

DROMORE

The Brethren in Fintona District LOL No 8 will welcome their counterparts from Strabane, Sixmilecross, Omagh, Newtownstewart and Killen districts for a very family orientated Twelfth of July in Dromore, Co. Tyrone.

The parade, which is approximately two miles, will move off from the Assembly Field on the Omagh Road at 12.30pm to the demonstration field at Trillick/Fintona Road junction.

The platform proceedings in the field will get underway at 2pm and the return parade will leave at 4pm.

UPPER BALLINDERRY

Upwards of 2,000 Orangemen and women are expected to be on parade in Upper Ballinderry, with Brethren from seven districts – Lisburn, Glenavy, Magheragall, Royal Hillsborough, Derriaghy, Ballinderry and Aghalee – taking part.

The parade will start at 11.30am from the assembly field at the Ballinderry Road and make its way to the demonstration field where will be a religious service and speeches, which will get underway at 2pm.

The return parade will commence at 4.30pm approximately.

RASHARKIN

The Independent Loyal Orange Insitution last held its Twelfth demonstration in the village of Rasharkin in 2017.

Hosted by Rasharkin District ILOL No 3 there will be the four North Antrim districts on parade with lodges from Londonderry and Belfast as well as visiting brethren from Scotland and England.

Platform speakers include James Anderson, Imperial Grand Master, Mervyn Storey Deputy IGM, Gregory Campbell MP and religious commentator Wallace Thompson.