The UK has a number of bank holidays throughout the year for different reasons, but few of them for such bloody reasons as the Battle of Boyne.
There are 18 parades, the lighting of bonfires, and demonstrations across Northern Ireland today (Friday, July 12), with this year marking the 334th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.
Ahead of what DUP leader Gavin Robinson described as the “celebrations”, the Orange Order’s Grand Master Edward Stevenson said it is an event “like no other”.
“Across the 18 venues, we will have tens of thousands of men, women and young people taking part in an event which has been faithfully maintained for well over 200 years,” he said.
“Many thousands more will line the streets of host cities, towns and villages. There is simply no other event on these islands that can bring such vast numbers of people on to the streets as our processions, either by taking part or simply to watch them go by.”
More than half-a-million people are expected to participate or spectate this year.
Here are the key details behind this historical occasion and what it means on the day it is celebrated.
What was the Battle of the Boyne?
The Battle of the Boyne was a battle that took place between the forces of the deposed King James II and King William III, the husband of Queen Mary II, on July 1, 1690.
Like most military clashes, it takes its name from where it took place; the River Boyne in Leinster, Ireland.
The battle was a great part of King James II’s attempt to regain the thrones of England and Scotland. However, it was also a part of the War of the Grand Alliance, with Pope Alexander VIII supporting William.
The majority of the Irish people were also on James’s side following his 1687 Declaration of Indulgence, which granted religious freedom to all denominations in England and Scotland, and his promise to the Irish Parliament that they would be given the right to self-determination in the future.
The Williamites in Ireland, on the other hand, wanted Protestant rule to remain across the region, as they feared what might happen to their lives and property if a Catholic leader was to rule Ireland.
In the end, the war was won by King William of Orange, securing the Protestant line of succession to the British Crown.
When is the Battle of the Boyne bank holiday?
To this day, July 12 is celebrated as an official bank holiday in Northern Ireland to commemorate it. Locally, the special day is referred to as The Twelfth and sees the members of the Orange Order, which was founded in 1795 to champion King William’s legacy, parade to celebrate the unionist and loyalist culture.
For those wondering, Northern Ireland has two more bank holidays than England and Wales, to acknowledge its cultural divide. Unionists have July 12 to celebrate their history, whereas Catholic and nationalist communities have St Patrick’s Day off on March 17.
The celebration also sees bonfires get lit and families attend community events.
The day is a divisive one, as those who are Catholic nationalists disagree with Northern Ireland being ruled under the British Crown.
In recent years, it has seen nationalists confront unionists, not wanting them to march through their areas and celebrate an occasion they see as a loss for the Irish people.
