Portadown Heritage Tours are pleased to announce the launch of their new festival of events ‘Celebrating Orange Heritage in the Orange Citadel’ for Orange Heritage Week from September 21-28.
Portadown is known as the Orange Citadel because of its rich Orange Heritage and the formation of the first organised Orange District which set the precedent for all future Districts and Grand Lodge.
Orange Heritage Week was launched in 2017 by The Grand Lodge of Ireland as an opportunity for all communities to learn and celebrate Orange Heritage throughout the Country.
It covers Diamond Day to Covenant Day.
Portadown Heritage Tours are hosting lots of events throughout the festival suitable for the whole community.
On Friday, September 21 there will be two audio tours of Carleton Street Orange Hall. The hall has recently been fitted with iBeacon technology for audio tours which is the first of its kind in any tourist building in Northern Ireland.
The Technology works through The Portadown Heritage Tours App which is available to download on Android and Apple devices.
The audio tours are available at 14:30 and 19:00, iPads are provided for the Audio Tour, but booking is essential.
On Saturday September 22 there will be a Kids Treasure Trail at Carleton Street Orange Hall at 14:00. This is suitable for ages five and above, but younger children are more than welcome to come and join the fun.
This particular event is proving to be very popular, so booking is essential.
There is lots happening on Monday, September 24. It will see the launch of our three exhibitions in Carleton Street Orange Hall and Heritage Centre. Exhibitions are open 10am-3pm until Friday, September 28, they include Drumcree: 20 years on, Portadown Orangemen on the Western Front and also Orange & Industry.
Also, between 7pm and 8pm, Star of David Accordion Band will be hosting an open concert and from 8.15pm there will be a talk by Robert Wallace, Historian and WDM of Portadown Royal Black, on the ‘Williamite wars in the European Context’.
There is no booking required for these events.
On Tuesday, September 25, Robert Wallace will be back to give another talk this time on ‘The Houses of Orange’, which will look at the palaces of William and Mary. This talk begins at 20:15 and no booking is required.
There will also be a Town Walking Tour leaving Carleton Street Orange Hall and Heritage Centre at 7pm on Wednesday, September 26 and Thursday, September 27 at 8pm will see the return of our Ghost Tour.
Once again these are very popular events and booking is essential. The Ghost Tours will be running twice a week during the month of October in the run up to Halloween.
Portadown Heritage Tours will also be hosting a Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee morning on Friday, September 28 between 10am and 12:30pm at Carleton Street Orange Hall and Heritage Centre and everyone is welcome!
For bookings contact the Portadown Heritage Tours office on 38332010 or out of hours number 07928962608. Also email
shout@portadownheritagetours.co.uk or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or online www.portadownheritagetours.co.uk. Portadown Heritage Tours is supported through PEACE IV funding.
