Highlighting the tourist potential of the Twelfth

It is a date that reliably produces one of the most colourful carnivals in the British Isles, and certainly the biggest annual festival in Northern Ireland.

The commemoration is the highlight of the parading calendar and marks crucial history too.

The Battle of the Boyne in 1690 had global ramifications, that impacted on the course of history in both Europe and north America, later the United States and Canada.

The tourist potential of the Twelfth was barely recognised during the Troubles, when the main focus was on it being a “peaceful” marching season.

That remains an important concern, given the tensions (often manufactured) that surround loyal order parades.

But to emphasise the risks of turbulence on the fringes is to miss the scale and colour and happiness of the occasion.

The parades that accompany the 18 demonstrations are very large. Belfast is famously so, but in fact Armagh is traditionally the largest demonstration of all.

It is being held in Portadown this year, and has been selected by the Orange Order for what it describes as tourist flagship status. But one of the smaller but most scenic demonstrations, in Kilkeel, is also being given such status.

These are appropriate designations, one recognising a large-scale parade and the other highlighting a parade that showcases the physical beauty of the Province.

One of the most attractive demonstration locations of all is the Co Donegal parade at Rossnowlagh, on the weekend preceding the Twelfth, in which Orange marchers descend down to a Field amidst dunes on the edge of the Atlantic.

The Order is to be commended in its efforts to showcase these events to visitors.

The tourist authorities have begun to recognise the potential of the Twelfth in recent years, and it is to be hoped that their support grows with time.