Tens of thousands set to take to streets for Twelfth Orange Order parades

Tens of thousands are set to take to the streets across Northern Ireland for the Orange Order’s annual July 12 parades.The festivities will be spread across 18 main locations on Monday to mark the 336th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne where the Protestant King William of Orange triumphed over the Catholic King James II.Orangemen and women from more than 1,000 lodges will be accompanied by around 600 marching bands.The County Armagh demonstration is generally regarded as the largest parade while Belfast has the longest Twelfth parade route of the day, with participants walking more than six miles to the field.The celebrations come after the burning of bonfires at hundreds of locations in loyalist neighbourhoods across the region on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.Traditional Eleve