12th of July

12th July – The Battle of the Boyne and Its Legacy

The 12th of July marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, fought in 1690 between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange. King William’s victory became a defining moment in Irish and British history, particularly for Protestants in Northern Ireland, who commemorate the day with parades and marches.

Known as “The Twelfth”, it is a day of cultural celebration for the Orange Order and many in the Unionist community. However, for others — especially in Nationalist and Catholic communities — it can be a reminder of division and historical conflict.

bus passes the parade — I found myself on a bus in Belfast during the 12th of July and luckily the bus passed this parade. I like to use window frames to frame a shot. I remember we had to change the bus coming up from the South, because the protestants would attack them if they saw southern car reg numbers on them.

band members before a long day of marching — During the 80s there was always trouble during the 12th. The protestants were doing for years. Why should they stop? The marching was a real fuck you to the R.A and the Catholics.

band members marching — Most people would see a band marching in the rain but to the likes of me it’s a lot more than that. I suppose the crown above the harp is one. And one thing people don’t hear is the music they play which is hugely militaristic.

bands in the street — I remember it wasn’t a nice day on that 12th. I like to get up high to do my establishing picture and it gives it perspective because you can see the back of the parade. 1990 was the 300th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

car decoration — Adding a bit of detail and close-ups to your documentary is a good idea. It adds to the pace of the picture story. Don’t always take your shots at the same distance. This photo is the Sandy Row Volunteers LOL 1299.

children on waste ground with banners — I love isolating objects and people with walls and grass. It gives calmness to the whole scene. I loved those banners too. They were so well made, of course when I got back to Dublin, I didn’t mention that to the ma or the da.

Orange Order members take a rest — The bowler hat and the umbrella was seen as the ruling classes. I hated these sort of people. When I was younger, I thought they were real scum. Now, of course things have changed, and the hatred has moved to more acceptance of differences.

pipe band members getting ready — I find waste ground to be an excellent area to take pictures. There is nothing to get in the way of the subject and the waste land can isolate your subjects. It’s a bit like been at the beach.

pipe band members relax — When people point I shoot. Look for people doing dynamic gestures when looking for a photograph. It’s better if the gesture is isolated; what I mean by that is that the you can see clearly what the person is doing. I think I have too many people behind his hand for this image to work. But I like the way the guy is standing.

band members rest — I love these uniforms and how they stand so out of place with other street fashion of the day. These band members would have been walking all day and by the day was finished they would have been very tired.

Hillside Protestants — There’s a lot of drinking done on the 12th of July. I had an Irish accent so I had to be very careful talking to these guys. The hated anything from the South including accents.

the Loyalist orange sash and a bowler hat — I don’t think this is a great picture, but it does give photographic pace as it is a close up. This is the trade make of the protestant community in Northern Ireland. The LOL stands for Loyal Orange Lodge, and you can see the number of the lodge which is 870.

two old women with a chair — So bonfires are big thing for the 12th. Usually, the bonfire would have the Irish flag on top. I remember looking up and seeing the plastic sign showing a butcher’s shop had melted from the previous years’ bonfires. The butchers had long gone.

young man holds a child — I don’t know how many frames I took of the man and the boy. I think I knew something was going to happen and then the girl in the back put up the pair of symbols. Always wait if you feel that there is something going to happen.

youth — I took this picture because of his cap. 1990 was the 300th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne where William of Orange beat King James II who was a catholic king. I don’t know the story with these marches now because I left Ireland years ago.

More Projects

Spotlight #5 Peter Erickson

Several countries 2025

“Peter wanted to capture what he saw on his travels. Drawing and painting felt too slow, but in 1976 he discovered that the camera was perfect. With just a couple of lenses and a few rolls of film in his pocket, he could create memories to last a lifetime—each picture telling its own story.” www.instagram.com/colnagoeps/

Latest 27/8/25 On the Edges of Protest – Paris 1992

Paris, France | 1992

At Bastille in 1992, the streets filled with voices against racism. I went there with my camera, not only to follow the march but to look outward, to the edges, where life carried on. Among the crowd I found the quiet faces of bystanders—those who paused, watched, or simply passed through. These photographs hold that tension between history and the everyday, where a city’s ordinary rhythm brushed against the urgency of protest.

Paris Reads Joyce: Bloomsday 1992

Paris, France | 1992

In 1992, Bloomsday at the Collège des Irlandais in Paris brought together lovers of James Joyce’s Ulysses for a day of readings, music, and celebration. The historic building on the Rue des Irlandais, once a home for Irish students in exile, became a lively stage for actors, scholars, and expatriates to honour Leopold Bloom’s odyssey through Dublin. In the intimate courtyard and vaulted rooms, excerpts were read in both English and French, traditional Irish tunes filled the air, and conversations flowed late into the evening—keeping alive a Parisian tradition of celebrating Joyce where history, literature, and the Irish diaspora meet.