Published13th Jul 2026, 00:01 BST
Marking the Twelfth with parades all over Northern Ireland is a privilege steeped in tradition, the grand master of the Orange Order has said
The words of Harold Henning come as people all over the province got ready to celebrate the biggest day in the Orange calendar with hours of music, marches and culture
With Ulster baking in bright sun as the weekend brought two days of family fun as bonfires were spread over the entire weekend, today looks set to be a scorcher – and anyone heading to parades is advised to pack the sun tan lotion
Temperatures are to top out at around 24C around mid-afternoon, with a largely cloud-free day of blue skies bringing plenty of sunshine
Wishing lodges and spectators all over Ulster “a successful, enjoyable and peaceful Twelfth celebration”, Mr Henning said: “In communities right across Ulster, the Twelfth morning is a special time as the Orange family prepare to take part in the biggest day of the year
“Our proud Orange tradition has been passed down from generation to generation for over 230 years and it is indeed a privilege to carry on the cultural practices of our forefathers on this, the 336th anniversary of King William III’s victory at the Boyne
“I wish you all a great day, stay safe in the sun and always be mindful to respect the proud colours we wear.”
Today’s parades follow hot on the heels of the annual Rossnowlagh event on Saturday, which a senior member of the Orange Order said was the biggest the seaside Co Donegal village has ever seen
“Everywhere was busy,” David Mahon told the News Letter. “I wouldn’t like to say exactly how many were there, but you could easily have 10,000 people
“It was wonderful, it felt great to have so many people supporting the event. The sun was out with a nice breeze in from the sea – you can’t beat a day like that.”
Also drawing the crowds was the Hairtlan Festival in Kilkeel. Organised by the Schomberg Society every year on the Eleventh to celebrate all things Ulster-Scots, MLA Diane Forsythe said the weekend’s event was “bigger and better than ever”
In a post on social media after she took in everything from a pageant featuring the world’s largest Lambeg drum to an evening open-air concert offering singers, drum majors and highland dancers along with the Co Down town’s castle-shaped bonfire, the DUP MLA said the event was an “amazing display of our future with tens of thousands joining in the celebrations”
“It was a pleasure to pour the Boyne Water and take part in the parade,” she added. “Well done to the Schomberg Society – absolutely outstanding, proud to be a Mourne Ulster-Scot this evening and always
“An amazing display of Ulster-Scots culture, talent and family fun for all the community. Outstanding.”
In a statement, the society itself said: “What a day and what a night as thousands and thousands of people, from both near and far enjoyed all we had on offer to mark this important date in the Ulster-Scots calendar – the Eleventh
“It is a true honour and privilege for the Schomberg Society to host the 11th July celebrations in Kilkeel. There is no doubt that our Ulster-Scots identity is very much flourishing and thriving – a vibrant culture for all to celebrate.”
With July 12 falling on a Sunday this year, the annual Twelfth parades are taking place on today instead. Over the weekend, the majority of Ulster’s bonfires stuck to their traditional July 11 date, but close to one-third of organisers went into extra time, deciding to light them last night instead
It also gave bonfire builders and aficionados alike double the chance to celebrate their culture, with some of the larger bashes running massive fun days to celebrate the weeks of hard graft and serious feats of engineering on show
At Craigyhill, for example, the Larne lads didn’t try to set another record with their skyscraping bonfire this year, though it was still one heck of a towering achievement visible from miles around
Instead, they spread the love with two days of music and fun
And tomorrow sees Scarva turn back the clock to the 17th century with its Sham Fight, bringing the pageantry of 76 marching bands and 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution for its grand parade before ‘King William’ and ‘King James’ clash swords – ending with William’s resounding victory
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