https://www.colerainechronicle.co.uk/news/2025/04/24/news/64-bands-on-parade-in-portrush-ahead-of-open-championships-final-day-play-57157/#:~:text=MORE%20than%2060%20loyalist%20bands,the%20Open%20Championship%20in%20July.

Thursday 24 April 2025 11:41

MORE than 60 loyalist bands are to descend on Portrush for a major parade on the penultimate evening of the Open Championship in July.

Details of the march were revealed to members of Causeway Coast and Glens Council on Tuesday evening during an update on off-course entertainment plans for the thousands of visitors expected in town.

Council officials said they have been “working closely” with Portrush Sons of Ulster to facilitate the parade on Saturday, July 19.

According to the Sons of Ulster, the R&A plus TUV Councillor Allister Kyle have also been involved in preparations.

Councillors heard their officers’ own plans for music, entertainment and a ‘pyrotechnic display’ would be focused on the previous evening.

“The plan, as it stands at the moment is, we are working closely with Portrush Sons of Ulster to facilitate the band parade for the Saturday night of the Open,” the council’s Director of Tourism Peter Thompson told elected members.

“We don’t plan to have any other major event activities on the Saturday. We are going to do that on the Friday night.

by Typical-Analysis8108

29 comments

  1. Is this just marvelous.  

    Imagine coming to see the golf, relaxing in the evening. What’s that noise? A parade you say, for the winner? Nope. A bunch of Loyalist bands that are directly linked to terrorist groups, named after terrorists or carrying terrorist flags and emblems.

    Quelle suprise it’s the TUV organising it.

  2. Nice for global vistors to be able to see some local culture while they’re here for the golf.

  4. Load of sad lads dressed up as if they have fought wars, walking about with their fat bellies out, ooh you’re so hard.

    Half the Jonathans at the open are probably members.

  5. Brilliant – Well done to the organisers for making this happen 👏👏👏👏.

  6. Lets show the world that we are still a sectarian, backward outpost.

  7. Jesus Christ. For fuck sake. Kids being used to protect terrorist cosplayers and now this at the open. We can’t have anything nice, can we. We all know how this will play out and right infront of the world’s media too. Thanks lads

  8. Good idea, show off your bitterness, hatred and sectarianism for the whole world to see. As if any single person there actually gives a fuck about a loyalist parading for some shite that happened hundreds of years before. Shows how out of touch they are.

  9. That seems like a stoopid decision by the parades commission

  11. planted planters doing planter things is the point of a planted planter.

  12. Come for the golf. Leave for the kulture. That’s our tourism slogan. Bonfire in the 18th hole sure

  13. The whole point of the plantation of Ulster was to bring over unintelligent farmers and braindead loyal cohorts of the British to destabilise and ruin any progression in North of Ireland. Hundreds of years later these morons are living up to their roots. It’s laughable.

  15. You literally couldn’t write this shit. If there was one thing we needed to do over them few days was present a positive united view of us to visitors. But no, we couldn’t event manage that for 7 days. TUV and to a lesser extent the parades commission are being totally brain dead here. No wonder the vast majority of Tourists land in Dublin and never cross the border why the fuck would you.

  16. TUV are just stroking tension here.

    They know that this is not ideal. Traffic will be terrible in the area that weekend with all the visitors.

    If the council refuses the parade, then they could cause a protest and risk riots. The council are just trying to play along and handle it the best they can.

    It’s basically loyalists trying to claim territory. All lampposts must have 3 loyalist flags at a minimum.

  17. Golfers come to “Rory McIlorys home turf” after winning the green jacket and they see THIS

  18. I wouldn’t have a problem with marches if it was all done in one day with massive parades rather than all these piddling ones that just cause disruption

  19. Visitors to the Open “What’s that noise ?”

    “Ah, that’s just the death rattle of loyalism”

  21. Sons of Ulster sounds like a Space Marine chapter, which is fitting in a way

  22. God forbid the event be a success, the mouth-breathers always happy to step in and ruin things. 

  23. I’m not sure why some people think this is organised by the TUV. It isn’t. Is this not the normal July parade that is held in Portrush every year? If so it’s been going for a long time. Not contentious and no trouble that I have ever heard of. The golf will be over for the day by that time and don’t see that much disruption.

  24. We all knew this was a possibility, I had this discussion with quite a few fellow golfers. 

    I kind of feel sad for us all in a really general way.

    This island is such a tourist hotspot and we miss out on this in so many ways up here. The north coast has incredible, untapped potential and we have an array of top quality golf courses. This level of event doesn’t happen often here and this is how we allow ourselves to be presented. 

    What a shame.

  26. Tbf. If the keep it to the bands and the bands manage to not play anything sectarian for the evening it’s better than fuck all. Two big ifs tho.

  27. Did the organisers of this band parade really think this was the best way to encourage all of the visitors to come back to Northern Ireland?

  28. Pride in Portrush is the first weekend in August… Imagine the TUV uproar if that had of been on during the Golf

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