The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland have announced the full details for the Co. Armagh Twelfth of July demonstration in the village of Killylea.
Firmly established as the ‘largest Orange gathering in the world’, the Co. Armagh demonstration is one of 18 locations across Northern Ireland where bands and Orangemen will gather to mark the 334th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.
Eleven District Lodges will be on parade (Portadown, Richhill, Loughgall, Tandragee, Armagh City, Lurgan, Killylea, Keady, Newtownhamilton, Markethill and Bessbrook), with a total of 150 Private Lodges and almost 5,000 Orangemen.
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, with almost 70 bands, including the finest pipe, accordion, silver and flute bands accompanying the Lodges on parade.
There are expected to be four Scottish bands on parade in the ‘County of the Diamond’ which is also well-renowned for the Lambeg drum.
Orangeism is deeply rooted within Co. Armagh and there are approximately 130 Orange Halls in the County.
The Co. Armagh Twelfth rotates around the Districts in an eleven-year cycle, with Killylea District LOL No. 7 taking their turn to host the celebrations this year.
The District is centred on the village and has 12 Private Lodges, with approximately 400 members. Two Lodges meet in the village and the other ten have their own Orange Halls, including the quaintly named Cooey Dingers LOL 289.
One Lodge, Caledon LOL 177, is sat in Co Tyrone.
The District Lodge had eight members murdered during The Troubles, including Sir Norman Stronge, former Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons, and his son, James Stronge.
The District will have a new Memorial Bannerette on parade this ‘Twelfth’ which commemorates the eight murdered members; it will be carried by a member of the local Junior Lodge, Killylea Young Defenders JLOL 205.
The brethren of Killylea District are very much looking forward to hosting the parade for the first time since 2011 and to mark the event, a special souvenir booklet has been produced.
For the members of Killylea District, Orangeism is a lot more than just a one day a year affair, as the District has recently drafted ambitious plans for the demolition of the Orange Hall and the building of a new Community Hall with proper Lodge accommodation therein.
There will be at least two new banners being carried on parade for the first time this ‘Twelfth’, that of Westminster LOL 86, Armagh District, and of Mullabrack Hearts of Steel Temperance LOL 1406, Markethill District.
Two local Orange Halls have also been rebuilt or refurbished and have been re-opened recently – Ballytyrone LOL 104 (previous hall was burnt down in 2015) and Diamond Grange LOL 118 (after refurbishment), both Loughgall District.
Read more: Co. Armagh Orange lodge opens new hall nine years after arson attack gutted homeplace
A number of Lodges are celebrating the 200th anniversary of their warranting this year, including local Killylea Lodge, Derryhaw Boyne Defenders LOL 768 and Cargans Memorial LOL 122 in Tandragee District.
Celebrating their 130th anniversary year is Corcrain Purple Rocket LOL 339, Portadown.
Prior to making their way to the assembly field, the District Officers and County Grand Lodge Officers will place wreathes at the Memorial Plaque in the Lodge Room in memory of the brethren from the district murdered during the Troubles.
The Lodges of the host District will gather at the assembly field on the Armagh side of the village and when the first visiting Districts have arrived, the main parade will commence at approximately 10.15am, led by Tannagh Hill LOL 6 and their Flute Band.
Killylea District will be followed by Richhill, Newtownhamilton, Portadown and Lurgan Districts. Then Markethill, Armagh, Loughgall, Keady, Bessbrook and Tandragee Districts will parade as they arrive, and by 12.30pm, all Districts should be in the demonstration field on the Caledon side of the village.
The parade route is as follows: assembly field – Armagh Road – Main Street – Killylea Road – to the demonstration field.
There is car parking provided at Elm Park Road, Fellows Hall Road, in the demonstration field and at Kennedies Road, with parking for persons with a disability available in the demonstration field.
Toilet facilities will be available in the centre of the village and in the demonstration field. First aid facilities will be provided along the parade route and in the field.
In the field, all the usual stalls and food venders will be set up. There will be a number of activities for children and as always impromptu band and Lambeg Drum rehearsals.
For the Platform Proceedings, the Chair will be taken at 1.45pm by the County Grand Master, Rt. Wor. Bro. Denis J Watson JP, and proceedings will commence with the traditional religious service, conducted by Wor. Bro. Rev. Dr. Alan McCann, County Grand Chaplain.
He will be assisted by a number of other Chaplains; the solemn Act of Remembrance will be undertaken by Wor. Bro. Rev. Edwin Frazer, Deputy County Grand Chaplain, and the Address will be given by Wor. Bro. Rev. N. Reid, new Deputy County Grand Chaplain.
After the service, the Twelfth Resolutions of ‘Faith, Loyalty and the State’ will be proposed and passed.
The platform proceedings will then conclude with the customary Resolution of Thanks, introduced by Wor. Bro. Lawson Burnett, Deputy County Grand Master, and the County Shield for the Best Band on Parade will be presented.
The return parade is scheduled to commence from the demonstration field at 2.45pm, with Lurgan District LOL No. 6 being the first to leave. The parade route will be the reverse of the morning parade.
The County Officers will review the parade at an appropriate place along the return route. Each District will depart at the allocated time and board the buses on the Armagh Road. Killylea District will be the last to leave the field at approximately 4.45pm.
