Orange Order Holds Annual Twelfth Parades Across Northern Ireland

The Orange Order conducted its annual Twelfth parades on Monday, July 13, 2026, commemorating the 336th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. Tens of thousands of people participated across 18 main locations, including Belfast and County Armagh, with more than 1,000 lodges and 600 marching bands taking part. DUP leader Gavin Robinson and other party members joined the demonstrations in Belfast, which featured the longest parade route of the day.

The celebrations were preceded by a parade in Rossnowlagh, County Donegal, on Saturday, July 11, which Grand Master David Mahon described as having a relaxed, carnival-like atmosphere. Further events by the Royal Black Preceptory in Scarva were rescheduled for Tuesday, including a traditional sham fight between actors.

Events were marred by a fatal accident in east Belfast, where a man died after falling from a bonfire. Widespread condemnation also followed the burning of a replica mosque on a bonfire in Moygashel, County Tyrone. The Police Service of Northern Ireland executed one of its largest policing operations of the year to manage the crowds and attempt to remove the effigy in Moygashel.