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Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Crowds from The Open stick around to watch Portrush parade: ‘It was a first-class night of culture'
Except it wasn't The Open pulling in the crowds in the seaside town on Saturday night. Instead, it was the Sons of Ulster Flute Band's annual parade. Rarely had the event garnered so much attention. The parade is a key part of the marching calendar stretching back three decades, and is usually held on the first Saturday after the Twelfth. This year, however, it found itself in the spotlight due to a clash with the third day's play of The Open, a mile or so down the road at Royal Portrush. It provided a unique cultural experience for many of those visiting the area from afar. 'Tourists watched the parade, with those I had spoken to saying they had never seen anything like it before' Moving off at 8.30pm, just as spectators were making their way home from the golf course, dozens of bands marched through the town. The official application to the Parades Commission said 83 bands were due to take part. Heading the parade was the Ballykeel Loyal Sons of Ulster Flute Band. For more than two hours, the parade wound its way through the town, finishing up at around 10.45pm. Crowds lined the streets to watch as the procession passed. Some tourists in the area for The Open decided to stick around after the golf ended to watch the marchers. Harn Huang, who's from South Africa and was with her mum and boyfriend, said: 'We don't have anything like this. I'm here to see both the golf and the parade. It's very cool.' Among those at the parade was TUV councillor Allister Kyle, who praised its success. 'I was proud to be in Portrush on Saturday night, seeing the vast crowds, many of whom were in golf attire, clearly having attended The Open during the day and staying to enjoy the incredible musical spectacle in the evening,' he said. Mr Kyle added that it had been 'one of the most successful nights Portrush has seen in years'. The organising band was offered around £20,000 to postpone their parade, which they refused. Explaining the reluctance to move it, Mr Kyle said: 'The calendar of annual parades remains largely unchanged so that events don't clash. 'Everyone wants to be close to the Twelfth without overlapping with other major parades. Portrush has successfully held the first Saturday after the Twelfth for many years. 'If they had cancelled or postponed, they could have lost their slot to another band or faced serious difficulties finding a new date.' DUP MP Carla Lockhart was also among the crowd. She said: 'The town was buzzing and the atmosphere was something else. 'The band have faced much opposition to their parade, but they persisted and it was a first-class night of culture.' Jonathan McAuley, another local TUV councillor, said it was an evening to remember. 'Tourists from all over the world watched the parade, with those I had spoken to saying they had never seen anything like it before and enjoyed every minute of the parade,' he said. Bands taking part came from all over Northern Ireland including Dungannon, Belfast, Londonderry and Coleraine.
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Band parade on Open weekend is hailed a huge success as crowds pack Portrush
More than 80 bands marched through the town, with locals saying it was a huge success. The annual parade, organised by the local Sons of Ulster Flute Band, coincided with the penultimate day of the tournament. Large crowds gathered in the seaside town to enjoy the parade as it moved off at 8.30pm, finishing up at 10.45pm. Local TUV councillor Allister Kyle was among those at the parade and praised its success. "I was proud to be in Portrush on Saturday night, seeing the vast crowds, many of whom were in golf attire, clearly having attended The Open during the day and staying to enjoy the incredible musical spectacle in the evening,' he said. "Once again, I congratulate Portrush Sons of Ulster, particularly their committee, for organising one of the most successful nights Portrush has seen in years.' The parade was led by Ballykeel Loyal Sons of Ulster Flute Band. The bandmaster, Robert Thompson earlier told the Coleraine Chronicle his band had no hesitation in supporting Portrush Sons of Ulster's decision to go ahead with the rally. He said: 'It's an annual fixture and one of our favourite parades that is treated as a family day out. 'At the end of the day, it's Portrush's [Sons of Ulster] prerogative. Whatever they chose to do, we were backing them 100%. 'If they had chosen not to have held it, we would have backed them. But they chose to go ahead and asked us to have the privileged of leading it, and we jumped at the chance.' The route took in Metropole Green, Sandhill Drive, Eglinton Street, Kerr Street, Upper Main Street, Main Street, Causeway Street, Victoria Street and Dunluce Avenue. The Parades Commission application listed 83 bands taking part. Bands taking part came from all over Northern Ireland including Dungannon, Belfast, Londonderry and Coleraine. That makes it bigger than any single Twelfth parade. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of sports fans are in the area for The Open at the nearby Royal Portrush Golf Club, which concluded on Sunday, The Open: International visitors share views on Portrush The organising band was offered around £20,000 by organisers to postpone their parade — which they refused. Outside the Station Bar today, Jeff McCusker said the band was 'definitely right to not accept the money'. 'The parade is every year on this date and if the golf organisers wanted to they could have reached out long before they did to the band,' he said. Despite fears of traffic chaos those helping with the traffic flow in the town said while it was heavy at times they kept it moving around the town. Some tourists in the area for The Open decided to stick around after the golf ended to watch the marchers. Harn Huang who was visiting Portrush for The Open from South Africa with her mum and boyfriend said: 'We don't have anything like this. I'm here to see both the golf and the parade. It's very cool.' But not all were even aware a parade was taking place including couple Luke Kelly and Mackenzie Brown from Phoenix, Arizona. Mackenzie said: 'We're not aware of any band parade and can't stay unfortunately. "I didn't know what to expect in Portrush (for The Open). It was breathtaking – the course and the cliffs and the water.' Canadian tourist Jess Marks, who was at The Open with partner Tim Shaw from Germany, said they didn't know anything about the march but had heard there was 'an event that might cause a few problems at the train station with more people trying to leave'. Earlier this week, Mark Darbon, chief executive of the Royal & Ancient (R&A), said there would be "marginal adjustments" of about 15 minutes to the golf tee-times to try to ensure both events can take place in a "seamless" way. "We recognise that when we bring The Open Championship to town, we are a guest in the community in which we operate," he said. "On many occasions, there are concurrent events that take place around the action that we are very focused on here, within the walls of the venue. "So, recognising the events that are taking place on Saturday, we have worked really collaboratively with the organisers and across multi-agency groups to ensure, primarily, that both events can run as seamlessly as possible.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Loyalist band parade bypasses the minds of most overseas visitors to Portrush
Bulk of tourists here to enjoy the golf are unaware of controversy around clashing weekend event Despite the controversy, headlines and tee-time changes caused by the Sons of Ulster parade in Portrush this weekend, the majority of international visitors to The Open don't seem to know it's even taking place. The loyalist flute band will hold its annual event on Saturday night, with the timings coinciding with the third round of the golf Major. Organisers say 77 bands are expected to take part, with approximately 2,000 spectators. Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A (Royal & Ancient), said there would be 'marginal adjustments' of about 15 minutes to the golf tee-times on Saturday to try and ensure both events take place in a 'seamless' way. Local TUV councillor Allister Kyle said the last time The Open was held on the north coast in 2019, the band ran a concert in Portrush amphitheatre and 'the Americans loved it'. The Belfast Telegraph stopped visiting golf fans at Royal Portrush yesterday to ask if they'll be watching the parade. But for nearly all of them, it was their first time hearing about it. Not Zoe Weinberg, though. She grew up in Michigan and lives in London. Her boyfriend is English, but his parents live in Moville, Co Donegal. She said: 'I do know what it is, actually — they wear bowler hats? And they almost got paid £20,000 to not do it, and they've decided to still do it. 'We won't be there because we'll be back in Donegal. We're coming back on Sunday. 'I don't even know enough about it to even think [about going to watch it]. I just wanna go hang out and have a relaxing evening.' Canadian Karen Caulfield lives near Toronto. During this trip, a special highlight was finally visiting Castlecaulfield in Co Tyrone, her namesake. She said: 'I have friends that live in Coleraine, so we're close by here. 'We've been to St Andrews, and Portrush blows it away. It's a better viewing course. I have been fortunate to golf at Royal County Down numerous times over the years.' Karen has witnessed loyalist bands in Belfast before, and 'wouldn't mind going to see it, except for the crowds'. She added: 'It's interesting too, because it might cause a little divide, right? 'I just volunteered at the Canadian Open and we get rock bands to play every night, so I actually looked for music at The Open and AI said that no, they don't do any concerts at this. 'We have a huge stage at The Canadian Open on one of the holes not being used, and two of our top Canadian artists play — Billy Talent and Sam Roberts.' She did suggest The Open should maybe follow suit — and get the likes of Westlife and Snow Patrol to play next time. Scott Olson from Minnesota lived in Derry for about a year and knows about loyalist band culture, but had no idea about the parade. He's attending the tournament all weekend, but just wanted to soak up the golf. 'No, probably not,' was his answer about attending the parade. Meanwhile, the PSNI has advised road users to anticipate traffic disruption. The parade is due to begin at 8.30pm on Metropole Green before moving onto Sandhill Drive, Eglinton Street, Kerr Street, Upper Main Street, Main Street, Causeway Street, Victoria Street, and finish on Dunluce Avenue at around 11pm. Additional traffic management measures will be implemented from 6-11pm with all roads into Portrush town temporarily closed to facilitate the volume of participants and spectators. Road closures include Coleraine Road at Glenvale Avenue Junction, Hopefield Avenue and Girona Avenue, Girona Park by Girona Avenue, and Girona Avenue by Ballywillan Road. The PSNI said: 'Officers will be on the ground during the parade to assist with traffic diversions. Any diversions will be made where necessary for vehicular movement, and local businesses will remain open and accessible as usual.'
Mint
6 days ago
- Mint
Vivo V60 leak hints at Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC, 6,500mAh battery and triple cameras: Launch timeline tipped
Vivo is reportedly gearing up to unveil the successor to its V50 smartphone in India next month. The upcoming Vivo V60, expected to launch on 19 August, has been the subject of several leaks, revealing key specifications, colour variants, and even design renders ahead of its official debut. According to noted tipster Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh), the Vivo V60 could come equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset, a notable upgrade over the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 featured in the V50. The handset is also said to pack a massive 6,500mAh battery, potentially supporting 90W fast charging, as hinted by recent TUV and SIRIM listings. Brar suggests that the upcoming smartphone may continue the brand's focus on photography, possibly offering 50MP cameras, although the exact camera configuration remains unclear. The leaked renders point to a triple rear camera setup, arranged uniquely within a pill-shaped camera island, with an additional lens and LED flash positioned alongside it. Vivo's branding appears on the bottom-left corner of the rear panel. In terms of aesthetics, the Vivo V60 could be launched in three distinct colour options: Mist Grey, Moonlit Blue, and Auspicious Gold, further adding to its premium appeal. Adding to the excitement, the tipster also claims that Vivo might introduce OriginOS, its custom user interface based on Android 16, in India alongside the new handset. This would mark the first appearance of OriginOS in the Indian market, offering a fresh user experience compared to the company's traditional Funtouch OS. The Vivo V60 is expected to bring several upgrades over its predecessor, the Vivo V50, which made its Indian debut in February this year. The V50 features a 6.77-inch quad-curved AMOLED display with full-HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of 4,500 nits. It is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC and houses a 6,000mAh battery with support for 90W fast charging. Camera-wise, it sports a dual rear camera setup (50MP main + 50MP ultrawide) and a 50MP front camera.
ITV News
12-07-2025
- ITV News
Police say they're treating attack on Orange Hall in Co Antrim as sectarian hate crime
Police have said they are treating an attack on an Orange Hall in Co Antrim as a sectarian hate after 1:20am on Saturday, it was reported that paint had been thrown over the front of the building in the Main Street of Rasharkin and graffiti daubed on walls attack happened just hours before a Twelfth of July parade was due to take place in the town. PSNI Superintendent Sinead McIldowney said: 'We are treating this criminal damage as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.'The police service condemns all sectarian hate crime and criminal damage caused to any property is absolutely unacceptable.'We will thoroughly investigate this matter and would appeal to anyone with information to contact us on 101, quoting reference 177 of 12/07/25.'Our officers will continue to proactively patrol the area and engage with the local community around any concerns they may have.' TUV leader Jim Allister condemned the said: 'The overnight sectarian attack on Rasharkin Orange Hall and the painting of terrorist slogans in the village, before it today hosts Twelfth celebrations, typifies the unbridled hatred of Orange and unionist culture that is designed to drive out its remaining Protestant residents.'The local unionist community will nonetheless not be deterred by this latest manifestation of sectarian hatred.'
