“Up to half a million people in Northern Ireland came out in support of the Twelfth of July celebrations this year.

“Members of a Canadian Junior Orange Lodge were delighted to see their Orange Hall when they visited Schomberg House before the Twelfth!

“Past Grand Master Rev. Dr. Martin Smyth took the 400th anniversary of the King James Authorised Version of the Bible as his theme at the Twelfth in Killylea, County Armagh.

“The Centenary of the Ulster Covenant of 1912 will be marked by a major demonstration in Belfast in September 2012.

“The Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Howard Hastings, has praised the work of the Orange Order, in promoting the Twelfth as a major tourist attraction.

“Enniskillen District Orange Hall was packed to capacity as “The Grands” – the Orange Community Awards – came to town.

“Unionist elected representatives have been asked to give their stamp of approval to a call from the Orange Order for Royal Mail to mark several major anniversaries in the next few years.

“Grand Lodge’s flagship tourist Twelfths estimate that they welcomed over 110,000 people at their Twelfth parades in 2010, returns have revealed.

“When Northern Ireland’s tradition of Sunday observance was first breached just a few decades ago, this newspaper warned that this could transform the atmosphere on the Sabbath and develop into just another of the seven days in the week.