THE English Orangeman, or Orange Order is an Irish Protestant and political society, named for the Protestant William of Orange, who, as King William III of Great Britain, had defeated the Roman Catholic king James II, in n 1690. The parades partly commemorates the:- 'Battle of the Botne,' which was a tipping point in Irish history that led to the protestants taking over from the Catholics in what was to later become Northern Ireland..
Every year since, on the 12 July, or as the Order refers to it as:- 'The Twelfth' the Lodges hold parades within Ireland and it has become the largest event celebrated by the Orange Order.
With Liverpool having an very large Irish population, it should come as no surprise that the Order has kept this tradition. Since 1819 members of the Liverpool Order have paraded through Liverpool City Centre, and have traveled to Southport, where they will be joined by other branches from cities across the UK, including:- Manchester, Sussex Birmingham, Corby, and Glasgow.
The parades in Southport have been organized by the Lodges from Liverpool and surrounding areas, and they attract thousands of visitors to the area, to watch it.
Every year members of the Order from Liverpool and other parts of the UK come to Southport for a parade, events are often viewed by many in a Marmite way (a love or hate view) The 2024 event was a fairly low-key affair, but it did cause traffic disruption, especially this year the Coastal Road had been partly closed off for the Air show set up.
This is our footage of the return parade, at the end of the day, which ran from:- Princes Park, along the Promenade, up Nevill Street, across Lord Street at the War Memorial, and then along London Street, to the Rail Station and the awaiting coaches.
To see our photos, please go to our news website Southport Reporter,
