200 members of the Royal Black Institution to take part in Derry ‘Last Saturday’ parade
Two hundred members of the Royal Black Institution and an unspecified number of supporters will take part in a ‘Last Saturday’ demonstration in Derry at the weekend.
Two bands - the Burntollet Sons of Ulster Flute Band and the Churchill Flute Band – will join members of the Fawney Fort Royal Black Preceptory 143 for the last main loyalist celebrations of the summer marching season.
At 8.30am on Saturday the parade will leave the old Waterside Health Centre, making its way to Society Street via the Craigavon Bridge.
It will depart Society Street at approximately 9.15am and then return to the Waterside before departing for Limavady, which is one of the hosts of six major 'Last Saturday' demonstrations on August 30.
Events are also being held in Castlederg, Cookstown, Antrim, Ballyclare and Dundrum and Limavady. Several feeder parades are planned throughout the North West.
Around 17,000 members are expected to take part in the parades, involving around 350 preceptories and 300 bands – some from the 26 counties.
In Limavady, the City of Londonderry Royal Black District Chapter No 2 are the organisers, while Star of the East RBP 97, are the host preceptory.
Members of the RBI from the Coleraine RBDC No 1, Raphoe (County Donegal) RBDC No 3, and South Londonderry RBDC No 4 will participate.
The demonstration is being held in the Orange Field on Roemill Road.
Members of the RBI refer to one another as ‘Sir Knights’.
Platform speakers in Limavady will be Sir Knights Maurice Devenney, District Master, City of Londonderry No 2 District; Jeffrey Stirling, County Grand Master, County Londonderry Grand Black Chapter; Rev Joseph Andrews, County Grand Chaplain, County Londonderry; and David Livingstone, Imperial Grand Treasurer.
The parade will start at 12noon, with the return set for 3.30pm.
Flags will be displayed along the route to mark the County Londonderry Grand Black Chapter’s 150th anniversary.
The last time a full parade was held in Limavady was 2018, with a smaller event during the easing of Covid restrictions in 2021.
Upon returning to Derry on Saturday afternoon members of the Fawney Fort RBP143 will parade from May Street to Society Street in the city centre. The return demonstration will leave the Waterside around 5.30pm.