Glorious Twelfth is now a major tourist attraction
ONE in three people in Northern Ireland took part in a "glorious" family Twelfth of July yesterday, aided by blazing sunshine.
Members of the Orange Order and associated musical bands basked in sunshine at 19 venues across the province for the 320th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.
Some 1,400 lodges from the province and Monaghan, Cavan, Donegal and Leitrim were on parade accompanied by some 900 bands and Lambeg drums.
The 70,000 members of the Orange Order were joined in parades by members from Scotland, England, the USA and Canada.
About 200 lodges paraded through Belfast with 80 bands, while 160 lodges and 80 bands made their way through Lurgan, the two largest events of the day.
The Orange Order said the parades had firmly established the annual national holiday as a major tourist attraction.
"Some half-a-million people either took part in parades or lined the routes of 18 demonstrations," a spokesman said.
"The day's events highlighted the organisational ability of the Orange Order, in particular with its five flagship Twelfths in Portrush, Newtownstewart, Cookstown, Hillsborough and Antrim, which all lived up to their billing."
Extra efforts to curb alcohol abuse this year had further encouraged the parades as family events, he added.
"The Twelfth is now a major attraction of the tourism calendar for Northern Ireland and it was encouraging to see so many friends and visitors coming to the Province to share the big day," he added.
However, the carnival atmosphere across the province took place against a handful of disturbances in nationalist pockets of Lurgan and north Belfast.
Orange Order Grand Master Robert Saulters said in his speech yesterday that he is still totally committed to the concept of unionist unity.
"I have said that one big strong unionist party was the ideal situation, although I recognised that would be very difficult," he said.
"People would have to forget past differences and work for the maintenance of the Union.
"I did take some flak for my comments but mostly from people who are no friends of unionists or indeed the Orange Order. In my role as Grand Master, I have travelled the length and breadth of this province – it is a role I am proud to have undertaken. In the past few months I have attended functions in every county.
"I have been extremely heartened by the hundreds of people who have backed my call for unionist unity. Our politicians should pay heed to the people who elect them and at the very least work as a co-ordinated unionist bloc.
"I have listened to the people who are members of the Orange Order, their families and the people who turn out like today to support them. You have told me in overwhelming numbers that you are proud to be unionist.
"You have told me that you want politicians from all unionist parties to work together for the common good. Today as we commemorate the Battle of the Boyne and the major significance it had on the history of Europe, we must also look to the future and encourage a united front from the people we elect to protect the Union.” See Morning View, page 14
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
