Twelfth of July parades begin across Northern Ireland
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA
Twelfth of July celebrations have begun across Northern Ireland.
Tens of thousands are taking to the streets across the region for the traditional Orange Order parades.
The festivities will be spread across 19 main locations to mark the 334th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, when the Protestant King William of Orange triumphed over the Catholic King James II.
An Orange Order feeder parade passed the Ardoyne shops in north Belfast without incident on Saturday.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson will address the parade in Belfast, while Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will deliver a speech at the Lisburn parade.
The Twelfth celebrations come after the burning of bonfires at an estimated 300 locations in loyalist neighbourhoods across the region on Thursday and Friday nights.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it dealt with a “challenging” situation, and one firefighter was attacked while attending a bonfire in Lisburn, Co Antrim.
Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister, Andrew Muir, said he was “very disappointed” that a controversial bonfire in south Belfast was lit despite warnings of asbestos on the site.
Of all the loyal order parades to take place on Saturday, about 30 have been officially categorised as sensitive by the Parades Commission.
It was a challenging & extremely busy night for NIFRS. Between 6pm & 2am, we received 277 emergency calls. This resulted in our Firefighters attending 194 operational incidents, 72 of these incidents were bonfire related.
Read our full statement: https://t.co/GKx57GKUin pic.twitter.com/Db9Wh00J8l— Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (@NIFRSOFFICIAL) July 12, 2025
Locations of sensitive parades this year include Belfast, Coleraine, Keady, Dunloy, Rasharkin, Strabane, Newtownabbey, Maghera, Newtownbutler, Portadown, Glengormley and Bellaghy.
More than 4,000 police officers and police staff will be working on July 12th.
On the 11th night, about 1,200 officers were deployed to monitor public safety at bonfires.
The cost of policing parades and bonfires in Northern Ireland through spring and summer was €7 million (£6.1 million) last year, a figure that was up €1.7 million (£1.5 million) on the previous year.
The bill, which covers the period April 1st to August 31st, also includes the cost of policing republican commemorations around Easter and events to mark the mid-August anniversary of the introduction of internment without trial during the Troubles.
The PSNI expects the costs in 2025 to be higher still.
This is because of falling police numbers and the resulting increased reliance on paying overtime to ensure enough officers are on duty for the events.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has urged mutual respect in the marking of events.
He said: “Our officers will be on the ground throughout the weekend, working in partnership with community leaders, event organisers, and local representatives to support lawful, peaceful and family-friendly events. However, where necessary, we will take firm and proportionate action to keep people safe.
“Our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of everyone.”
On Sunday, an Orange Order parade will return past the Ardoyne shops but will be restricted to one band and 50 members of the order.
It is a return parade at the former flashpoint, which traditionally took place on the evening of July 12th, often resulting in violent scenes.
Meanwhile, the traditional July 13 events organised by the Royal Black Preceptory in the village of Scarva, Co Armagh, will take place on Monday.
The event includes a parade as well as a sham fight between actors playing rival monarchs William and James.
