Tim Mc Inerney and Naomi O'Leary travel to Belfast for the peak of Northern Ireland's marching season: the 11th and 12th of July, when unionists and British-identifying communities light enormous bonfires and parade through the streets to commemorate Protestant military victories of the 17th century. We speak to experts including Donald MacRaild and Dominic Bryan of Queens University Belfast who explain the meaning of the tradition, and visit loyalist and republican communities in Belfast to understand what this time of year is like for them. We find many sides to the Glorious Twelfth: it can be a beloved community event, but it's intimidating enough that it drives most Catholics off the streets of Belfast. Naomi and Tim come face to face with the darker side, as they find themselves caught up in the thick of openly sectarian celebrations.

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A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/transcripts/transcript-the-glorious-twelfth/




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