Apprentice Boys Parade

The annual Apprentice Boys of Derry March took place on Saturday 14 August this year. It is held each year to commemorate the closing of the city gates against the approaching army of Catholic King James II. A decision had been taken to admit the troops when suddenly, thirteen apprentice boys of the city took matters into their own hands, seized the keys of the gates and on 7 December 1688 slammed them firmly in the face of Lord Antrim’s Redshanks – King James troops. The siege of the city, where some 30,000 Protestants had gathered, did not start until some months later, in April 1689 when dogs, cats, mice, candles and leather were soon being eaten. At the entrance to St Columb’s Cathedral there is preserved a round iron ‘bomb-shell’ fired into the city in June 1689. It has a small hole in the top and contained in fact not explosive but a letter giving terms on which the inhabitants were invited to surrender. But the ‘bomb-shell’ has proved explosive enough in history because ‘No Surrender’ was the final answer which the besieged sent out and it has been the watchword of northern Protestants ever since. The raising of the siege led to the eventual total defeat of James II in Ireland. And now over three centuries later ……………...A few photos of he day.