Twelfth of July celebrations taking place across Northern Ireland

Tens of thousands of people are attending parades across Northern Ireland for the annual Twelfth of July commemorations.

The main parades are being held in 18 venues across all six counties, with villages, towns and cities taking their turn to host their neighbouring lodge members.

The event memorialises the Protestant King William III's victory over the Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690.

This year, the Twelfth fell on a Sunday, which the Orange Order considers a religious day of rest, so the main parades are being held on Monday.

The Twelfth is the biggest day in the Orange Order's marching calendar and 2026 is the 336th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

Members of local Orange lodges are also joined on parade by visiting lodges from Scotland and further afield.

The main parade in Belfast set off at 10:40 BST at Donegall Square West.

The County Armagh parade is said to be the largest gathering of Orangemen on the day. This year's event is in Newtownhamilton.

According to county grand master Denis Watson, the parade in Belfast would be "much larger with the bands but we'd have the largest gathering of Orangemen anywhere in the world".

"We're very proud of that as obviously the Orangemen order was founded in Loughgall," he said.

With nearly 70 bands featuring pipes, silver, flute, accordion and the Lambeg drum, it is also one of the loudest.

Political figures including Matthew Patrick, undersecretary of state at the Northern Ireland Office, and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly were lining the route.

"It's brilliant," said Patrick.

"It's a celebration of faith, community, culture and history. It's a real family day out. The bands are amazing, the banners are fantastic."

Little-Pengelly, who was with her mother Maureen, said she wanted to promote a message of unionist unity.

"Unionism is always stronger when people work together," she said.

"There'll always be differences across the political parties but ultimately we want the same objective to strengthen the union."

Angela Doherty, from the Lisbellaw Lodge in County Fermanagh, was in Maguiresbridge to watch the parade.

She said the junior lodge for girls had only been running for a few years but had "really taken off".

"We started with 18 members and now we have 30," she said.

"We take the girls on trips, it's a good way to socialise throughout the year and they love it. It's a way of them learning about their culture and having fun."

Jessica has been in the junior girls' lodge for about 10 months.

"I'm really enjoying it. I've made so many friends," she said.

In Cookstown, County Tyrone, more than 40 bands left the assembly field just after noon.

Ellen Watson, who was there with her family, said she usually played in the Tullycoll Accordion Band, but as she has a young baby she was spectating this year.

"I'm looking forward to seeing my band, and having my family here as well makes it special, great memories and the weather is beautiful too which helps," she said.

Jeanette Graham is from Moygashel but was in Cookstown town centre from 08:30 to get a prime spot beside the cenotaph.

"We knew the street would be packed, so I'm delighted with the position we have, the early start was worth it," she said.

She said she would be thinking of her late husband.

"He died a couple of years ago and he loved today, it was the highlight of his year, so it will be nice to see his lodge, Tamnamore, and his band pass us - that will be special and I'll be thinking of him," she said.

One of the largest parades in the north west is in Limavady.

The Orange Order estimateed that about 2,000 Orangemen and women, as well as junior members, from 50 lodges would take part in the parade.

They will be accompanied by 35 flute, accordion and pipe bands.

Mark Smyth, district master in Limavady, said: "It's great to see the town filled with so many spectators. It's a great honour to host it.

"We've visitors from City of Londonderry Grand Orange lodge as well as Coleraine and Macosquin. There's been a great turnout and the weather has been really good."

Speaking in Rathfriland, the head of the Orange Order called for Northern Ireland to not be left in a "European limbo" following Brexit.

Grand master Harold Henning said Northern Ireland should be "respected as a truly integral part of the United Kingdom", instead of having to continue to deal with European regulations.

In Rathfriland Henning hailed the culture on display as "great heritage" with Orange lodges and bands playing an "important part in the community life of their respective areas".

He said unionists remained concerned about the outworking of Brexit.

"The citizens of Northern Ireland should no longer be deprived of the same rights as our fellow citizens in Great Britain," he said.

On Saturday and Sunday night, hundreds of bonfires were lit to mark Eleventh Night - a tradition observed by many unionist communities on the eve of the Twelfth.

The bonfires commemorate the actions of King William III's supporters in 1690, who lit fires across the countryside to welcome him and guide him to the battle site.

Most bonfires pass without incident, but some are controversial due to their height or location, or because they contain symbols considered offensive.

This year the bonfire in Moygashel in County Tyrone caused controversy again when an effigy of a mosque was burnt on Thursday night.

A man died after falling from an unlit bonfire in east Belfast on Friday night, a death which the bonfire organisers described as a "tragic accident".

Elsewhere, some bonfires have caused controversy because they include the display of contentious images and the burning of sensitive symbols such as national flags.

On Sunday, effigies of rap trio Kneecap were placed on another bonfire in Donegall Pass, south Belfast, along with a Palestinian flag, Celtic Football Club flag and Irish tri-colour.

More than £1.4m was spent by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the past four years to protect and repair homes and property close to bonfires.

Additional reporting by BBC News NI's community correspondent Mark Simpson in Belfast, north west reporter Keiron Tourish in Limavady, mid-Ulster reporter Niall McCracken in Cookstown, south east reporter Cormac Campbell in Newtownhamilton and journalist Bernie Allen in Maguiresbridge.