Covered up and boxed in a storage vault in the town of Enniskillen, two historic oil paintings gathered dust. King William III commissioned the portraits of himself and Queen Mary after he routed Catholic forces in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, a turning point in Irish history that established Protestant ascendance. Unionists revere King Billy, also known as William of Orange, as a hero who saved their settler ancestors. The portraits used to.
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The Orange Order has said the Northern Ireland protocol must be scrapped immediately and it won t allow the local economy to be reorientated towards Dublin in order to facilitate a united Ireland by stealth .
Its statement came as the DUP s online petition secured the 100,000 signatures needed to secure a parliamentary debate on triggering Article 16. Yes, we did it, said Arlene Foster. That s people power and politics in action together.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland said it had met with all the unionist parties and was encouraged by the unanimity of purpose shown in recent days. Read More
It said the protocol must be binned immediately.
Tributes have been paid to the County Secretary of County Antrim s Grand Orange Lodge following his death after contracting Covid-19.
William (Billy) Thompson (74) from Lurgan, died peacefully at Craigavon Area Hospital on Thursday. He had been in intensive care since January 9.
He is survived by his wife Hilda, sons Ian, Clive, Karl and Lee, and the wider family circle.
Mr Thompson s family praised the support and pastoral care given by the staff in Craigavon s ICU and said they recognised that they went above and beyond what was expected of them.
Originally from Ballymena, Mr Thompson was the eldest of 10 and was a driver for Ulsterbus before joining the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in 1968 where he remained until his retirement.
Parade plans constantly under review, says Orange Order larnetimes.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from larnetimes.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.