The Irish are good at holding a grudge.
Every year on July 12 they descend on Belfast from all over the world. They are affiliates of the Orange Order, the largest fraternal organization of Irish Protestants, with over 30,000 members in Northern Ireland alone.
Founded in 1795 in County Armagh, when the conflict between Protestants and Catholics was blazing, the Order has offshoots in all corners of the globe where the Northern Irish diaspora chose to settle, including Scotland, England, the US, West Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The high point of the year for the Orange Order is the march held on the day in question, known as the Glorious Twelfth, to commemorate the victory in 1690 by William III of Orange over the Catholic forces of King James II in the battle of the Boyne. The march attracts Unionists of all ages – including the elderly, young people and many children – all of whom march through the streets of Belfast, amidst music and historical reenactments, as part of commemorations primarily designed to celebrate the earlier English domination over the Emerald Isle. This predominance, however, seems to be on the wane.
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The Irish are good at holding a grudge.
Every year on July 12 they descend on Belfast from all over the world. They are affiliates of the Orange Order, the largest fraternal organization of Irish Protestants, with over 30,000 members in Northern Ireland alone.
