TUV Castlereagh East councillor Andrew Girvin was part of a delegation which recently met with Dundonald LOL 1056 to discuss the possibility of LOL 1056 and LOL 1111 hosting the North Down 12th July celebrations in 2015. Commenting after the meeting councillor Girvin said:
“As we draw closer to the celebrations marking the 324th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne people’s minds are naturally turning to attending their local parade for this year. However, organising and hosting a 12th demonstration is a major undertaking which requires a lot of planning. Therefore while members of the public are thinking about this year’s 12th Orange minds in Dundonald are already thinking about the 2015 celebration.
“Recently I met with Dundonald LOL 1056 to discuss the possibility of LOL 1056 and LOL 1111 hosting the North Down 12th July celebrations in 2015. While I appreciate that this is a matter which is entirely up to the Orange Institution I am happy to lend my support to this worthy goal.
“It is estimated that around fifty lodges and bands would take part in the event as well as thousands of spectators. It is the hope of local Orangemen that they will be able to incorporate Dundonald village and Ballybeen into the event providing families with an excellent day out as well as an opportunity to celebrate Orange history and culture.
“Hosting a 12th celebration also raises the profile of an area and provides a welcome boost to local businesses.”