Royal Black Institution: 'Last Saturday' is a day of 'spectacle and colour' - details of parades in Dromore, Lisburn, Loughgall, Moneymore, Larne, and Artigarvan

Six Last Saturday parades are taking place across the Province this weekend - in addition to Dromore, there will be parades in Lisburn, Loughgall, Moneymore, Larne, and Artigarvan.

The Dromore parade will be hosted by Lower Iveagh Royal Black District Chapter No 1. Over 100 preceptories from the County Down Grand Black Chapter, along with upwards of 90 bands, will take part in the event. Lower Iveagh last hosted the county parade back in 2008 and the chapter is looking forward to welcoming both new and familiar faces to the town.

Mark Sleator, district master of Lower Iveagh Royal Black Chapter, said: “We have worked hard in putting the plans in place for this year’s parade, and every effort has been made to minimise disruption to residents and local business.

"With 13 district chapters from County Down Grand Black Chapter taking part in the parade, family, friends and supporters are sure of a day of spectacle and colour and we look forward to welcoming a good crowd to Dromore."

Official car parks will be located at the Assembly Field on Dromara Road and the Demonstration Fields at Lurgan Road/Kilntown Road, all priced at £5 per vehicle.

Entertainment will be provided at the platform from 2.15pm-2.45pm, with the main religious service commencing at 3pm.

The parade details are:

• 11.30 am – Lower Iveagh District Officers, County Grand Officers, along with RBP 11 and accompanying bands will leave Dromore Orange Hall and parade via Dromore Square to the Dromara Road. The remainder of Lower Iveagh District and districts will be waiting at the junction of the Circular Road/ Dromara Road (former Cowan Herron Hospital) to follow the County Officers. The main parade will move from this junction at 12noon.

• Noon – Main parade will move off from Dromara Road and parade via Pound Hill, Meeting Street, Bridge Street, Dromore Square, Church Street, Lurgan Road to Demonstration Field accessed off Kilntown Road. Platform proceedings will commence at 3pm, chaired by Rt Wor Sir Knt Mervyn Kernaghan, Grand Master of County Down Grand Black Chapter, with Imperial Grand Chaplain, Right Worshipful Sir Knight Raymond Adams, leading the religious service.

• 4pm – Return parade will move off from the Demonstration Field on the Lurgan Road via Dromore Square to Hillsborough Road and Ballynahinch Road. Lower Iveagh will parade via Dromore square back to Dromara Road.

Sovereign Grand Master

Around 17,000 members will take part in the six parades across Northern Ireland, involving approximately 350 preceptories and 300 bands.

Sovereign Grand Master Rev William Anderson, who will address the event in Loughgall, said: “The annual Last Saturday parades are flagship events on the parading calendar.

“We expect to see thousands of supporters turning out at the various locations to witness a glorious expression of culture, pageantry, music, and history.

“The institution’s principled stance on the Reformed Christian faith will be to the forefront at all our demonstrations on the Last Saturday.”

Details for the other five Last Saturday parades are as follows:

Lisburn

There will be six districts taking part: Lisburn, Ballymena, Antrim, Larne, Ballymoney and Ballyclare. Around 5,000 participants are expected, with 79 preceptories and 75 bands.

The parade was last held in Lisburn in August 2015.

The demonstration field is at Wallace Park, with sir knights and bands assembling at the Laurelhill Road, beside the Community College.

The main parade will begin at 12:30pm, proceeding through the city to the park, where a religious service will take place at 3pm, conducted by the County Grand Chaplain, Rev David McCarthy. The return parade will start at 4.15pm, proceeding to Prince William Road.

Loughgall

Summerisland RBDC No 6 are hosting the demonstration in the Co Armagh village, home to the headquarters of the Royal Black Institution.

Sixty bands will be on parade, with an estimated 4,000 participants in the procession, which will take in Ballygassey Road, Main Street and Old Road. Starting time is 12 noon, with the return procession scheduled for 5pm.

Moneymore

Co Londonderry will parade in Moneymore for the first time since 1997.

A total of 35 preceptories and 31 bands - an estimated total of 1,000 participants - will gather on the Desertmartin Road from 11am and walk the one-mile route to the field on the Moneyhaw Road.

The procession will move off at 12 noon, led by County Officers.

Moneymore RBP 313 will be celebrating their 150th anniversary.

Districts from South Londonderry, who are the hosts, will be joined by Raphoe, Coleraine and City of Londonderry.

Platform proceedings will be chaired by Jeffrey Stirling, the County Grand Master, with the main speaker being William Bailie, Past Assistant Sovereign Grand Master.

County Grand Chaplain Rev J Andrews will lead the worship, with the speaker being Rev John Martin, of RBP 97 in Limavady.

The return parade will leave at 3.30pm and head back through the town, to depart from the Magherafelt Road.

Larne

City of Belfast Grand Black Chapter are the organisers at the Co Antrim venue, which last hosted the demonstration in 2014.

Seven districts are taking part, comprising three from Clifton Street, with the others from Sandy Row, Shankill Road, Ballymacarrett and Ballynafeigh.

A total of 1,500 will walk in the procession, including participants from 35 bands.

A remembrance service will be held at the town’s War Memorial at Inver Road, with the main procession route taking in Larne Town Park, Main Street, Upper Main Street, High Street, Bridge Street, Station Road and Circular Road.

Artigarvan

RBP 91 are the hosts for the Tyrone demonstration, which is being held in Artigarvan for the first time. Districts from Omagh and Castlederg will join the organising Strabane Chapter.

A total of 25 preceptories and 20 bands will take part, with an estimated total of 900 in the procession. The main route takes in Berryhill Road, Mount Pleasant, and Art Road, with a starting time of 12.30pm and returning at 3pm.

District master Derek McDermott will chair platform proceedings and conduct the service of worship; the principal speaker will be the Imperial Grand Registrar Robert Dane, and the preacher is the Rev Alan Irwin, County Grand Chaplain, Tyrone.