In A sign of things returning to normality post-Covid-19, there will be Twelfth of July parades in Fermanagh this summer, albeit adjusted to comply with the latest pandemic regulations.

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the annual Twelfth of July parades will be held to mark the 331st anniversary of King William III’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne.

Speaking in an interview with The Impartial Reporter, the County Fermanagh Grand Master, Paul Stevenson, welcomed the news of the parades.

He said: “There will be a number of venues around County Fermanagh doing it [parades] this year.

“It would have been Enniskillen District [hosting] this year, but it will be a couple of the districts coming together, with restrictions, it will be six or seven venues across the county [which host parades].”

The County Grand Master was unable to confirm the list of venues, but confirmed that the county officers were working through a list of venues of Tuesday night which will then be confirmed by the districts.

The Twelfth parades were disrupted last year due to the pandemic. With the pandemic continuing, the County Grand Master explained the Lodges’s plans around events for this year.

He said: “We are trying to bring things back to normality the best we can – we are just finalising which districts will be going where, and who is doing what, and when we get that planned, we will know what is what.

“Last year was The Twelfth at Home, and we had a drive-in service in Enniskillen, but most lodges kept it smaller in their own halls.”

Fermanagh’s Twelfth demonstrations are well-known for their hospitality toward neighbouring lodges in the Republic of Ireland but whether or not Brethren from the Republic will be able to join celebrations in Fermanagh is still “very much up in the air”.

County Grand Master Stevenson said: “It will depend on how [the Republic’s] vaccination programme will go; most members who live in Fermanagh will have got their two jabs or at least have had one, while in the Republic, they are a little behind us.”

Another popular event for Fermanagh Orangeism is the Rossnowlagh parade, normally held on the Saturday before the twelfth.

‘Low-key’

County Grand Master  Stevenson said: “Rossnowlagh is a big day, and there is a big number at it [but this year] we couldn’t really be bringing people out. We are trying to keep it as low-key as we can this year, but it will be up to the Brethren of County Donegal to make the call on that one [as to whether Rossnowlagh has a parade or not].”

He also confirmed that the Orange Order had been looking at various situations for this year’s events, including a full Twelfth.

The County Fermanagh Grand Orange Lodge hopes to confirm next week all of the venues for the pared-back Twelfth demonstrations.