With the greatest upheaval in British politics taking place at Westminster this week, a number of MPs from both the Conservative and Labour parties were enjoying a day at the Fermanagh Twelfth in Maguiresbridge on Tuesday.
The five members of the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee were in Fermanagh at the invitation of Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP, Tom Elliott, who had suggested to them that they should attend a Twelfth outside Belfast.
The Chairman of the Committee, Laurence Robertson, a Conservative MP and four others including Northern Ireland born Kate Hoey, a Labour MP, stayed in Enniskillen on Monday night, enjoyed their day at the Twelfth and flew back to London on Tuesday evening.
When they left Westminster, David Cameron was still Prime Minister but when they returned on Tuesday night, he was about to move out of No.10 Downing Street to make way for his successor, Theresa May, who was uncontested as the new leader of the Conservative Party.
Yesterday(Wednesday), David Cameron officially tendered his resignation to the Queen and Theresa May became the new Prime Minister.
The other MPs who visited Maguiresbridge included Stephen Pound(Labour), Stephen Hepburn(Labour) and Nigel Mills(Conservative).
During their stay, they met a number of members of victims groups and heard some of their accounts of family members being caught up in the Troubles.
The Committee Chairman, Laurence Robertson said: “It’s been harrowing to speak to members of the victims groups and hearing the terrible stories,” he said.
“But today is about meeting together and celebrating,” he said.
“We have been in Northern Ireland during the Twelfth period previously but this is the first time at a Twelfth outside Belfast.”
He explained how the Committee which also comprises a number of Northern Ireland MPs has a brief to examine the expenditure administration and policy of the NIO and were currently carrying out inquiries into electricity, taxation, tourism and the Libya government’s links with the IRA.
Kate Hoey MP is no stranger to Northern Ireland, having been brought up in Antrim and after studying as a PE teacher became interested in student politics in London and has been MP for Vauxhall constituency in London for the past 27 years.
“My office is five minutes walk from Westminster, the nearest constituency to Parliament,” she explained.
As a former Sports Minister in Tony Blair’s government, she took a keen interest in one latest development in Maguiresbridge, the impressive new 3G sports pitch, developed by Maguiresbridge LOL No 14, which officially opened earlier this year. The Department for Communities provided £357,000 funding towards the facility through the Regional Shared Sports Facility pilot programme, which is aimed at developing community relations in the village and surrounding area. 
There was however no time for a political football match between the opposing sides of Conservative and Labour MPs.
But Kate did reveal that she is one of the Northern Ireland football team’s greatest fans, having attended all of their main international matches home and away over the past 10 years including their matches at the European Championships in France.
The Twelfth was not new to her but she enjoyed watching the Twelfth at Maguiresbridge as there was more of a community cultural atmosphere about it. “It’s great to see so many young people in the bands and see that the heritage is passed on.”
In fact this year there were five junior lodges on parade, such is the growth of junior lodges at present. The visitors were entertained to a traditional Twelfth meat tea in Maguiresbridge Orange Hall where they met the County Grand Master, Stuart Brooker and other County Officers.