Orange walks, or Orange marches, are a series of parades by members of the Orange Order and other Protestant fraternal societies, held during the summer months in various Commonwealth nations, and most notably across Northern Ireland and Scotland. The parades typically build up to 12 July celebrations marking Prince William of Orange's victory over King James II and VII at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
Orange walks are considered controversial and face opposition from Catholics, Irish nationalists, and Scottish nationalists who see the parades as sectarian and triumphalist. They have also drawn criticism in recent years from other religious communities, left-wing groups, and trade unions.
The "marching season"
The "marching season" generally refers to the months April to August in Northern Ireland and includes marches by groups such as the Apprentice Boys of Derry, and the Royal Black Institution as well as the Orange Order. The Orange Order is arguably the most active marching group. The Orange Standard newspaper is used as a source for people to find out about marches on different dates and locations for the various districts for the Twelfth of July. This includes world-wide coverage of events. Typically, each Orange Lodge holds its own march at some time before 12 July, accompanied by at least one marching band. On 12 July each district holds a larger parade consisting of all the lodges in that district, and sometimes including lodges from outside Northern Ireland. This is particularly the case with the Belfast district, whose parade commonly features several Scottish lodges and often some from other countries. In most districts, the parade's location varies from year to year, rotating through suitable towns. Belfast is an exception; it has kept more or less the same route for many decades.
Orangefest is a cultural event that takes place the week before the 12th of July Parade. Different host towns hold their own version of Orangefest locally. The week-long event started in 2007. The Belfast Orangefest is organized between the County Grand Orange Lodge of Belfast and Belfast City Council. Events include many family-friendly activities, including street performances, singing, heritage tours, international food markets and reflection of remembrance.
The Royal Black Institution holds the Royal Thirteenth the day after 12 July in Scarva and Bangor.
At the end of April, Belfast Orange Lodges attend a charity service at Ulster Hall in support of the Belfast Orange Lodges Widows Fund. A parade also takes place.
Some walks commemorate historical events. Most notably, 12 July marches observe the Battle of the Boyne. Marches in Northern Ireland on and around 1 July commemorate the participation of the 36th (Ulster) Division in the Battle of the Somme.Helen Robinson, 'Remembering War in the Midst of Conflict: First World War Commemorations in the Northern Irish Troubles', 20th Century British History, 21, 1 92010), pp86-7. Locations include east Belfast, Down and Armagh.
The "Mini Twelfth" is held in multiple locations in Northern Ireland. The Ballynafeigh District hold theirs on the first Wednesday in July after the Somme parades, fourth weekend in June sees South Antrim and West Belfast Mini Twelfth, Portadown hold theirs on the second Saturday in June, and in North Belfast, there are two, one on first Friday in June and the other the third weekend in June.
The end of May marks the annual Junior Orange parade for junior lodges from Armagh, South Tyrone and Fermanagh.
The Easter Tuesday parade is held by Belfast and South Antrim junior lodges.
"Carrick Day", also known as the "Royal Landing", is an annual pageant and multi band parade held in Carrickfergus. It commemorates the landing of King William and includes a re-enactment.
Black Saturday demonstrations take place in August, most notable the last Saturday of August, with England, Scotland and Fermanagh holding their Black Saturday on the first Saturday in August. This formally marks the end of the marching season.
The Orange Order designated 1 September as Orange Victims Day an annual day of remembrance by holding a service and parade for the members of the Loyal Orders killed during the Troubles. They chose this date to mark the anniversary of the Tullyvallen massacre.
On 11 November, a number of Orange Lodges hold short parades to mark Armistice Day.
Reformation Day parades honour Martin Luther, who nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, starting the Reformation that brought about the Protestant churches. The parade routes destination is a church for church service.
Ulster Day is commemorated on 28 September at the end of Orange Heritage Week to mark the 1912 signing of Ulster's Solemn League and Covenant with a parade in Belfast and other locations in Northern Ireland. Nearly half a million people signed the pledge to oppose the Third Home Rule Bill and keep Northern Ireland tied to the United Kingdom. In 2025, a re-enactment of the signing of the Ulster Covenant was held in Tandragee and Carrickfergus.
A lodge parade is usually a small walk held in the local Orange Lodges town or village accompanied by a marching band. It usually marks the anniversary of the lodge.
The Shutting of the Gates is the last major parade of the Loyal Orders, taking place on the first Saturday in December.
On 27 September 2026, after a ban of almost 30 years, the group were given approval to march in Portadown. However, hundreds of protestors blocked the road and the police service gave instructions not to march. The stand-off lasted until midnight with Orangemen remaining in the church at the start of the route. A group attempted the march again at 04:00 AM the following morning but were blocked by police vehicles.
Form of parades
All Orange walks include at least one lodge, with officers. The lodge is almost always accompanied by a marching band, often a flute band, but also fife and drum, silver, brass and accordion bands. Participants range from as few as one lodge, up to dozens of lodges for major events such as the Twelfth. Elderly or infirm lodge members often travel the parade route in vehicles such as black taxis.
In recent decades, it has become much more common for members of ladies' lodges to walk, although men still greatly outnumber them in most parades. Larger walks, especially on the Twelfth, may be headed by a figure on a white horse dressed as William of Orange. A few parades include others in historical fancy dress; or, more rarely, a float, such as that constructed for the 1990 Twelfth celebrations to represent the Mountjoy, the ship which lifted the Siege of Derry.
Regalia and accessories Parading Orangemen usually wear dark suits. Some Orangemen wear bowler hats and walk with umbrellas, although it is not mandatory. Walkers wear V-shaped orange collarettes (often inaccurately referred to as sashes) bearing the number of their lodge, and often badges showing degrees awarded within the institution, and positions held in the lodge. Some lodge officers also wear elaborate cuffs, and many walkers wear white gloves, although has become less common. Most lodges carry at least one flag, most commonly the Union Flag. Other common flags include the Ulster Banner, the Flag of Scotland and the Orange Order flag. Lodges also usually carry a banner with the lodge's name and number, and usually depicting William of Orange on at least one side. Other popular banner subjects include deceased lodge members, local landmarks, and the Bible with a Crown.
Bands Typically, there is one band per lodge. Some bands have formal connections with the lodge, but in most cases it is simply hired for the day. Bands and lodges pair up by word of mouth, through the band or lodge advertising in Protestant publications such as the Orange Standard, or as a result of a lodge member hearing the recordings many bands produce. Most bands have a strongly Protestant ethos and display bannerettes and flags associated with loyalism, and in some cases, paramilitary groups. Many are associated with or named after Protestant areas such as the Shankill Road in Belfast, although the number of "Shankill Road" bands suggest that many of their members must also be from elsewhere. In 1985, concerned that some bands' behaviour was bringing the Order into disrepute, the Grand Orange Lodge instituted a system of contracts requiring bands to behave appropriately. According to writer and former Orangeman Brian Kennaway, the contracts have been largely ineffective, mostly because of the Order's reluctance to enforce them.Brian Kennaway, The Orange Order: A Tradition Betrayed, London, 2006, pp. 73–4.
Controversy Throughout the history of the Orange Order, Orange walks have faced opposition, both from Catholics and nationalists, who have seen them as sectarian and triumphalist; and from the general public, due to inconvenience and controversies associated with them. Although many nationalists find the parades offensive, conflict usually arises only when a walk passes through or near a Catholic-dominated area. During The Troubles, many marchers were verbally abused, had objects thrown at them, and were involved in abusing onlookers, something walkers following the march still do today. The marching season requires a significant police presence to avert violence. In the early 1970s, parading was banned on several occasions, although never on 12 July.'Future policy on processions etc., First Report of the Joint Working Party on Processions etc. (Final Draft)', December 1970, p. 9, HA/32/2/39, Public Records Office of Northern Ireland.
Currently, of the more than 2,000 annual parades in Northern Ireland, only a handful are considered majorly contentious. The best known is the Drumcree conflict. The Drumcree area, near Portadown has a history of parading disputes going back to the 19th century. The current dispute centres on the refusal of the Parades Commission to allow the Portadown lodge through the Catholic Garvaghy Road during their annual celebrations in early July. The conflict led to severe rioting in the late 1990s, but the area has been relatively calm in recent years.
Parade opponents in Drumcree and elsewhere have put forward several arguments against the parades:
That they are sectarian regardless of their route That they celebrate the defeat of Irish Catholicism That when they go through majority- or traditionally-Catholic areas, they are particularly insulting and triumphalist That they cause serious inconvenience to residents, as roads must be closed and, in particularly contentious areas, access to the roads denied
One observer has argued that the Orange Institution and its demonstrations deny Nationalists and Catholics their human rights.Mulholland P. (1999) Drumcree: A Struggle for Recognition. Irish Journal of Sociology Vol. 9
The Orange Order and its supporters have countered that:
The parades are not sectarian, and that any sectarian activity or violence is perpetuated by outsiders and "hangers-on" over whom the Order has no control That inconvenience is caused mostly by the need for police to protect marchers from the violence of their opponents That the disputes are not actually about parading, but are a way for republicans to attack Protestantism.
They have also argued that they have a fundamental "right to march"—that any group should be able to walk down "the Queen's highway" without interference. In practice, however, the Order has tended to oppose marches by republicans and other "disloyal" groups on the grounds that there is no right to parade sedition.
The Order has a policy of non-negotiation with residents' groups, as it believes they are dominated by Sinn Féin and do not represent residents' actual opinions.Orange Order press release.