An Irish Green Party politician has called for the Twelfth of July to become a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland.
Patrick Costello urged the Irish government to legislate to make July 12 a public holiday south of the border.
The Dublin TD said the move would be a "major step" in ensuring people feel "represented and included" across the island.
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The Twelfth marks the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, an act that secured a Protestant line of succession for the British crown.
It is a public holiday in Northern Ireland, with parades and events held across the region annually by the Orange Order to commemorate the anniversary.
Mr Costello said: "This day is an extremely important one historically for the island, and culturally for many people who live here."
The TD, who sits on the Oireachtas committee on the Good Friday Agreement, said his proposal would help the Republic meet its constitutional commitments on reconciliation under the 1998 peace deal.
Mr Costello noted that both St Patrick's Day and the Twelfth are public holidays in Northern Ireland and said "this too should be replicated here".
He added: "Aside from the symbolic effects this would also bring benefits for the tourism industry.
"For tourism there is huge untapped potential relating to the Jacobite-Williamite War.
"In particular I think of the Battle of the Boyne site itself where the Office for Public Works run a fantastic visitor site.
"This could become a site of annual pilgrimage for many from the north. In Limerick we could capitalise on the Treaty stone and in Galway on the Battle of Aughrim site."
Mr Costello said there are "numerous traditions on this island" and everyone should feel "represented and included".
He said: "For too long the Irish state sought to portray a single narrative of Irish history - one that was isolationist, militant, nationalist and Catholic.
"We know that history is not black and white. We know that there are numerous traditions on this island.
"If the Irish state truly aspires to unite all the peoples of this island, then all of those people need to feel represented and included. Designating the Twelfth as a public holiday would be a major step for that process."
Belfast Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn welcomed the proposal.
He tweeted: "We have a long and shared history on this island. Different cultures and traditions which can and should be accommodated in the interests of respect, reconciliation and cooperation."
But Aontú deputy leader Gemma Brolly said many people north of the border would be "bemused" at the "incredibly naive" proposal.
She said "pretending the Twelfth is not political is just silly", claiming it is a "celebration of dominance of unionism over nationalists".
Ms Brolly added: "I understand that Patrick Costello is probably making this suggestion in the spirit of reconciliation. But I think he is mistaken.
"True reconciliation is born out of mutual respect and pluralism. We don't have to dress up in each other's political clothes to reconcile."
She said it would be possible for the Twelfth to continue to be a public holiday north of the border in any future united Ireland.
"But in the south of Ireland, there is no demand for this and certainly no logic to it either," she added.
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