THE biggest Orange Order parade of the year will take place this coming Saturday in Glasgow.
Thousands of lodge members, bands and supporters will gather all over Glasgow before they parade to Glasgow Green on July 4 for the County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow annual Boyne parade.
There are 55 separate notifications of parades all over Glasgow as individual lodges meet and then join with others before creating four large groups in the north, south, east and west of the city.
Small parades by lodges in various districts are being organised, meeting between 8am and 9am across the city including Bridgeton, Easterhouse, Govan, Ibrox, Maryhill, Milton, Parkhead, Partick, Pollokshaws, Possilpark, Shettleston, Springburn, Thornliebank, Tollcross and Whiteinch.
They will join together as four groups outside the city centre.
The four groups will then merge at Jamaica Street and Broomielaw in the city centre and form one big march to Glasgow Green.
The East Group of around 945 people will assemble at Brook Street at 10.10am and march along London Road, Saltmarket and along Clyde Street and Howard Street to merge at Jamaica Street with the main parade and proceed to Glasgow Green.
The South Group of around 1500 people will meet at Centre Street at 11.30am before crossing the River Clyde on the George V Bridge and meeting the others at Jamaica Street and Broomielaw.
The North Group, made up of around 200 people, will meet at Corn Street at 10.30am and parade up Garscube Road to St George’s Road and all the way to Charing Cross before heading up Sauchiehall Street, along Blythswood Street, Wellington Street and Robertson Street to Broomielaw to meet the main walk at Jamaica Street.
The West Group with around 400 people will meet at Kelvingrove Park at 10.35am to head into the city centre via Sauchiehall Street and Blythswood Square and join the other walks at Jamaica Street.
Around 100 participants of the County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow including the colour party will meet at Cathedral Precinct at 10.45.
They will march down Cathedral Precinct, Castle Street, High Street, Saltmarket, Clyde Street, Stockwell Street, Stockwell Place, Howard Street, Jamaica Street, Argyle Street, Queen Street, Ingram Street, High Street, Saltmarket and through the McLennan Arch Glasgow Green.
The members and bands will have a few hours in Glasgow Green.
Bands and lodges will then reassemble at 2.15pm at Glasgow Green to make their return journeys back through the city centre and out to their own communities later in the afternoon before dispersing.
Roads will be closed temporarily to allow the marches to pass though and in the city centre it will take longer as the parades merge and are larger in numbers.
On its social media the Glasgow Orange County stated: “The County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow is proud of its heritage, proud of its traditions, and proud of the people who make our Institution what it is today.
“For generations, Orangeism has been built upon the principles of faith, friendship, community and heritage.
"It is through these values that we continue to serve our communities, support charitable causes, promote Christian principles, and preserve the history and traditions passed down to us.”
