Jun 18, 2026 · 42 min · 10 segments
Parading — when members of the unionist community march to commemorate historical events such as the 1690 Battle of the Boyne — is one of the most visible expressions of Northern Ireland's deep social…
Kit RickardGuest
Giovanni HollenwegerGuest
Alan RenwickHost
Kristin BakkeGuest
If we were in Northern Ireland and we were watching one of these parades, what would we see?
So I think that most people, when thinking about parades in Northern Ireland, they will be thinking usually about the 12th of July.
Not to say that there are many other parades that happen throughout the year, aside from the 12th of July.
But definitely in that period, it is the most grandiose form of parading.
the one that's specifically commemorating the Battle of Boyne that I mentioned in 1690.
You will see a lot of marching bands, some of them dressed in paramilitary-like uniforms, a lot of songs and a lot of police presence as well.
But they are grandiose rituals and there are a lot of people, especially in the center of Belfast, where I was conducting my participant observation.
It is a very big event and very joyful, especially for the people who are participating.
Contentious for some of the people that see this potentially as a sign of domination or prevarication of one group over another.
For example, the church parades that happen in certain circumscribed areas of Baphos, but also other cities.
And these tend to be much smaller and much more somber or solemn in their nature.
And they're called church parades because usually they begin or they end.
Aside from Protestant parades, there are also Republican or Catholic parades as well.
No, it is a phenomenon that happens throughout all the groups in Northern Ireland, but of course it is more prevalent or these events are much bigger for the Unionist side, I would say.
So we often hear people talking about the Protestant marching season, which I guess is particularly around the 12th of July.
If we were in Northern Ireland and we were watching one of these parades, what would we see?
So I think that most people, when thinking about parades in Northern Ireland, they will be thinking usually about the 12th of July.
Not to say that there are many other parades that happen throughout the year, aside from the 12th of July.
But definitely in that period, it is the most grandiose form of parading.
the one that's specifically commemorating the Battle of Boyne that I mentioned in 1690.
You will see a lot of marching bands, some of them dressed in paramilitary-like uniforms, a lot of songs and a lot of police presence as well.
But they are grandiose rituals and there are a lot of people, especially in the center of Belfast, where I was conducting my participant observation.
It is a very big event and very joyful, especially for the people who are participating.
Contentious for some of the people that see this potentially as a sign of domination or prevarication of one group over another.
For example, the church parades that happen in certain circumscribed areas of Baphos, but also other cities.
And these tend to be much smaller and much more somber or solemn in their nature.
And they're called church parades because usually they begin or they end.
Aside from Protestant parades, there are also Republican or Catholic parades as well.
No, it is a phenomenon that happens throughout all the groups in Northern Ireland, but of course it is more prevalent or these events are much bigger for the Unionist side, I would say.
So we often hear people talking about the Protestant marching season, which I guess is particularly around the 12th of July.
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