12 July Orange Lodge Parades in Southport

THE Annual Orange Lodge Parades returned to Southport on:- Wednesday, 12 July 2023. The event is run by members of the Liverpool Provincial Grand Orange Lodge, along with members of the Grand Orange Lodge of England:- GOLE.Org.UK.

This event was held to mark the 333rd Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. This battle on the banks of the Boyne River near the Town of Drogheda was between the King William III; who was known as the Prince of Orange's and the forces of the deposed  Catholic King, James II, in 1690,  The battle was to become a great historical and cultural significance for the Irish. This victory was not only a total defeat of the the Jacobite forces, at Aughrim, but it was also instrumental in securing the ascendancy of Anglican Protestantism within Ireland. This legacy would later lead to the North and South of the Irish border, along with the controversies we now see in Irish Politics for generations after, hence why Order and its Parades have often sparked controversies, even in Southport.

Liverpool's Orange Lodge remains 1 of the main British hubs outside of Northern Ireland, after being formed in 1795 to support the union, Protestantism and the monarchy. More than 2 centuries on, despite its membership numbers declining, and that is also reflected in the numbers attending this annual event.

This year we are told that 70 lodges took part on the day, accompanied by some of the Orange Lodge bands, and children dressed as:- King William and Queen Mary. Also taking part here the Provincial King, Queen and Bible Carrier, made up of young children from No 5 Enniskillen District who we are told prepared for the event over a 12 month period.

Interestingly, for the 1st time in many years, the parade will be led by a traditional pipe band.

The Liverpool Lodge, just like in previous years, upon arriving in Southport, was joined by other members from all over England including:- Bootle, Manchester, Sunderland, London, Corby, Birmingham, Sussex, and many more locations.

We are told that senior Orange Lodge Officers from both:- Scotland and Northern Ireland, even the USA, also attended.

Other Orange Lodge Parades took place in:- Liverpool City Centre and Dingle, according to members of the Orange Lodge, who attended.

This event often has a:- 'carnival atmosphere' but in the past various activities associated with the Parade, along with the history connected to Ireland, this event often creates division within the local community. Some see the thousands of people who often attended as a benefit to the Town's economy, but others do not. Some say that:- "visitors and retailers do not welcome the Orange Lodge Parade" and others calling it:- "drunken debauchery with roots in a violent past."

Does this event really give Southport a bad name, and does it really course as much disruption to rush hour traffic as is claimed by some? Does this bring in significant money to the area, or do we loose more than it brings in? Their is no easy answers to this, but it does bring colour and sound to the streets of Southport on an annual basis.

Does this event hold any resonance with you? What are your thoughts on this event? Please do let us know by emailing our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:-  Mastodon, Facebook or Twitter

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