Apprentice Boys of Derry: Annual parade is expected to see 3000 members walking through Londonderry
Up to 3000 members of the Apprentice Boys of Derry will parade through the city tomorrow to commemorate the 1688-89 siege which saw off an attempted invasion by forces of the Catholic King James.
The parade commemorates 13 apprentice boys slamming the mainly Protestant city's gates against the advancing army. The resulting Siege of Derry lasted 105 days and cost over 10,000 lives, mainly due to starvation.
Commemoration of the events begins at midnight on Friday night, 2 December, with the firing of the ceremonial cannon.
A party of members will then symbolically close each of the four original gates into the old city.
The highlight of the day's events will be a parade of up to 3000 members plus bands parading through the city before burning an effigy of Lundy.
Robert Lundy was the governor of the city who attempted to surrender to the Jacobite forces.
William Moore, General Secretary of the Apprentice Boys, said: "This is still an important commemoration today because the unionist population in Northern Ireland and certainly in Londonderry still feels under siege.”
Although there is not normally any physical opposition to the parade, he says there are those who would like to see it halted.
"We take part in dialogue and discussions to ensure that will not be the case, that there will be a place in Londonderry for Protestant history, culture and traditions.”
A major part of their work has been the creation and outreach of the Siege Museum in the city, through which they have "managed to create understanding and respect for our culture".
The museum welcomes people from all political persuasions into the facility, he added.
The clubs and bands will assemble at Waterside railway station on Saturday from 11:30am and parade across to the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall on Society Street.
At 1:15pm the main parade will walk to St Columb's Cathedral for the public service. At 3pm it will travel to Bishop’s Street for the burning of the effigy, at 4pm.
There are about 240 Apprentice Boys clubs with some 170 in Northern Ireland. The balance are spread out across Scotland, England and Canada and Australia.