Marching in Ireland

Two big marches occurred in Ireland over the weekend, one a political protest in the heart of Dublin, the other a Protestant parade in rural County Donegal.

  • Some 7,000 Orangemen paraded in Rossnowlagh, the only such July 12th parade in the Republic of Ireland. “The march was highlighted as a tourist attraction for the first time as it received the official backing of the Government’s tourism initiative aimed at attracting the Irish diaspora to the country during 2013,” The Irish Times reported.
  • An estimated 35,000 anti-abortion protesters packed the streets of Dublin ahead of a crucial vote this week. Some carried signs that said, “Kill the bill! Not the child!” The Washington Post reported that speakers demanded that the government put its bill to a national referendum.

July 12

Not Northern Ireland. RTE photo of Orange Order parade in the Republic of Ireland.