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Forthcoming Events
Friday 30 July Bessbrook True Blues FB Bessbrook Saturday 31 July South Belfast Young Conquerors FB Belfast Saturday 31 July Defenders of the Rock FB Lisbellaw Monday 2 August Red Hand Defenders FB Downpatrick Wednesday 4 August Ballymacall True Blues FB Dungannon Friday 6 August Mourne Young Defenders FB Kilkeel Saturday 7 August Clogher Protestant Boys FB Waringstown PRACTISE INFO HERE Follow PDFB: 
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History Portadown Defenders Flute Band was established in 1971. Portadown is approximately 30 miles from Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. We are a Blood and Thunder band, with the instruments of 5 key flutes, side drums and bass drums. Like us, each other band tries to create as much noise as possible, with maintaining class, thus having Blood and Thunder. In our band, we have a colour party, drum majors, side drummers, bass drummers, flautists and a marshall to keep the band in shape. We attend band competitions between the months of April and October. The parades are held on Friday and Saturday nights with the exception of some bands as they hold their parade throughout the week. Each band hold a parade to obtain support from fellow bandsmen, but mainly to maintain our loyalist culture. Our loyalist culture is under threat by Nationalist Republicans and a quango government body, known as the Parades Commission. Nationalists feel that our parades are secterian, but the parades are clearly an identification of our culture which has been carried on for centuries. The Parades Commission determines the outcome of contentious parades, in which if the parade is allowed or is banned from entering an area which is believed to be offensive to another community. Typically, the PC are in favour of Nationalists, and this can be seen by the Drumcree parade and the Ormeau Rd parade in Belfast. On the famous 12th of July celebrations, which celebrates the victory of King William over King James at the Battle of the Boyne, the band accompany Corcrain Purple Rockets LOL 339 to the selected demonstration. In Co. Armagh, there is 11 different orders within the district. Each year one of the 11 orders holds the demonstration in their homeland. The chosen location is based on a rotational cycle. Portadown Defenders also accompany Royal Black Preceptory and the Apprentice Boys of Derry to other demonstrations throughout the year. We will try to keep the loyalist culture going and to fight the cause against Nationalist Republicans, who are rapidly trying to destroy the Protestant heritage. |
