TWELFTH 2022: Details released of Independent Orange celebrations centring on Ballymoney

The details of this year’s Twelfth of July celebrations for the Independent Orange Order can now be revealed.
By Adam Kula
Published 5th Jul 2022, 14:04 BST
Updated 5th Jul 2022, 15:31 BST
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It will take place in Ballymoney, with an estimated seven or eight bands – a number which is expected to include Killycoogan Independent Accordion Band, Tullaghans Flute Band, Dunaghy Flute Band, Bushside Accordion Band, Bushside Independent Flute Band, and Garryduff Flute Band.

William Fenton, the Co Antrim Grand Secretary and Assistant Imperial Grand Secretary, told the News Letter there should also be around three sets of Lambeg drums.

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The parade starts at 1pm at the Showgrounds in the Co Antrim town, with the march then doing “a complete circuit of the town, then back to the Showgrounds for platform proceedings”, including prayers, Scripture, and hymns.

'King Billy' leads the way at the Independent Orange parade in Portglenone on July 12, 2008: Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker'King Billy' leads the way at the Independent Orange parade in Portglenone on July 12, 2008: Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker
'King Billy' leads the way at the Independent Orange parade in Portglenone on July 12, 2008: Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker

Mr Fenton, a 79-year-old member of Lisnagaver lodge near Rasharkin, who has been in the institution for 62 years, said: “It’s great to be back at a normal Twelfth.

“The last two years, we’d had small local parades at our halls. Last year in Ballymoney we did a parade around the town, but no platform proceedings. It was better than nothing.”

Now the full scale Twelfth offers the chance for “fellowship with people they haven’t been able to get time with these past two years”.

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The order split from the main bulk of the orange fraternity in 1903, amid a complicated spat centring on a fall-out among Belfast politicians over the inspection of Catholic laundries.

Today the organisation is based largely, but not exclusively, in north Antrim.

Here are its resolutions for the Twelfth 2022 (AT THIS LINK)

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