Apprentice Boys eager to hit streets in force again after over two years of Covid curbs

Billy Moore, the Apprentice Boys’ general secretary, has told the News Letter that he expects perhaps 5,000 members to join Monday’s mass march from north-west Belfast to the city’s south.

In all there are about 30 parades involving the loyal order scheduled for Monday, with a raft of junior Orange marches the following day.

Many are feeders for the main march starting at 12.30pm in Woodvale Park on Monday, then proceeding to Royal Avenue, City Hall, Botanic and the Lisburn Road, ending in the loyalist Sandy Row area before dispersing.

The Parades Commission lists 47 bands in all taking part in it, with a finish time of 4pm; no restrictions have been imposed on the march.

“We’d be anticipating quite a large number of spectators, and probably ‘round about 4,000, 5,000 members of the association, plus bands,”Mr Moore told the News Letter.

“The Easter Monday event for Apprentice Boys is simply to commemorate the start of the siege proper.

“It commenced on April 18, 1689, when King James II arrived at Bishopsgate and was refused entry – that’s why the parade on Easter is quite significant.

“Obviously the members will be eager, and are looking forward to getting back to the streets again, and looking forward to being the first of the loyal orders to have a major procession.

“We all hope it’ll be used as an opportunity by all the clubs again to go and seek new members, and display our culture and traditions back on the streets again.”

This Easter sees a rash of processions, ranging from car clubs to republican 1916 commemorations; here are a few of the major ones:

> SATURDAY:

11 bands will be on parade between 7pm to 10pm in Randalstown on Saturday;

27 will be on parade between 7pm and 11pm in the east coast village of Annalong.

Saturday will also see the beginnings of republican Easter Rising marches, most notably one from the South Armagh Memorial Committee in Mullaghbawn, from 7-8pm, estimated to involve some 1,800 participants.

> SUNDAY:

There will be some 20 republican parades taking place.

Two of the biggest will be Sinn Fein ones: one in rural south-east Fermanagh between 3-4.30pm and involving 700 participants, and another with the same number of in Carrickmore village, mid-Tyrone, from 2-4.30pm.

> TUESDAY:

Seven junior Orange parades in all, but the main one notified is from noon to 1pm from Ballynafeigh Orange Hall in south Belfast, eastward to Cregagh Youth and Community Centre, and then back from 4pm to 5.30pm.

> Full list online here

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