SIR, — I would like to warmly congratulate the Orange Order’s Castlewellan District for organising last week’s Twelfth of July parade in Newcastle.
The event was an overwhelming success.
The district officers excelled themselves and this was a truly memorable event which attracted an estimated 50,000 Orangemen, band members and spectators, including an Orange Lodge from Coventry.
The decision by the Castlewellan District to invite brethren from the neighbouring Mourne District was an excellent one, with the parade graced by fine weather.
The event was a colourful spectacle which was particularly encouraging and the fact so many people participated in it and enjoyed the day is a credit to the organisers.
The Twelfth parade was also a major boon for the Newcastle business community which did very well given the thousands of people in the resort for the event.
I hope the tills will be ringing on a similar scale when Newcastle hosts the highly acclaimed Festival of Flight next month, another event which attracts tens of thousands of people to the town.
As the District Master for Lecale, brethren in the Castlewellan District have set the bar incredibly high ahead of next year’s Twelfth of July parade which is being held in Crossgar.
We in Lecale certainly have our work cut out for us.
Yours etc,
WILLIAM WALKER,
Lecale District Master.