Coleraine, Co Derry: The Orange Order offers the best protection from "Roman Catholic nations" which are attempting to submerge "the Protestantism of the United Kingdom" into the European Union.
The Rev Richard Harvey of the Wesleyan Reformed Union in Sheffield told The Irish Times during yesterday's Twelfth parade in Coleraine, Co Derry, that the Orange Order was a safeguard "for our Protestant institutions and for our Protestant faith". He said the order was needed more than ever.
"There are new threats we are facing from ecumenism and from multi-faithism. There are too many compromises by the mainstream churches and the old Protestant doctrines are not being preached. There are many who want to submerge the UK into a Europe which is dominated by too many Roman Catholic nations and the Orange Order stands against that," he said.
Some 70 lodges took part in yesterday's parade, each accompanied by a band. The host lodge was Macosquin District LOL No 8 and it was joined by an estimated 10,000 Orangemen from lodges in Coleraine, Limavady, Derry city and east Donegal.
Up to 15,000 people watched the event. Included in the parade for the first time was a 40-foot float from the Ulster Scots movement which carried some well-known figures such as Davy Crockett, Neil Armstrong and Dolly Parton.
For the children there was an inflatable assault course, a bouncy castle, a log roll, a pole jousting contest as well as a skittle alley and pony rides.