Thousands attend annual sham fight at Scarva

Several thousand attended the Royal Black Institution's annual sham fight on Saturday in Scarva, Co Down, a re-enactment of the…

Several thousand attended the Royal Black Institution's annual sham fight on Saturday in Scarva, Co Down, a re-enactment of the 1690 Battle of the Boyne.

Royal Black Preceptories from Portadown, Newry, Tandragee, Markethill, Banbridge, Rathfriland and Lower Iveagh took part in this year's event, which resulted in a predictable victory of King William of Orange over King James II.

The Royal Black Preceptory is a higher order of the Loyal Orange Institution.

One of its July 13th parades in Lurgan, Co Armagh, was placed under restrictions by the North's Parades Commission which ruled that the march would place a strain on community relations.

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Meanwhile, Orange regalia, several banners and the district bannerette were damaged in an attack on Newry Orange Hall on Friday night.

The break-in was discovered by officials from the Orange Order when they gathered at the hall on their way to the sham fight in Scarva on Saturday morning.

A local UUP MLA, Mr Danny Kennedy, condemned the incident and called on local Sinn Féin representatives to do likewise.