One person who was as proud as punch to carry a banner was 13-year-old Shiloh Charrington Wilden.

He joined the Junior Boys Lodge in Derrygonnelly earlier this year and was full of praise for the organisation.

He said: “It is class, it is good fun, it is amazing! It is all worth it, walking up and carrying the banner.

"I couldn’t be prouder, and there were people cheering my name going up the town!"

He has enjoyed his experience in the junior lodge and said he has made a few new friends, who he pointed out as he spoke to this newspaper.

He is also the proud owner of a new outfit for the big occasion. “Yesterday, we went into town and bought this in S. D. Kells."

Shiloh Charrington-Wilden, Derrygonnelly Junior Lodge. (Image: John McVitty)

Referencing his own waistcoat, he moved his collarette slightly to show it off, and said: “Isn’t it class?

“I love it. I love my collarette; when I got it I was showing it off."

When asked if he would encourage friends to join the junior lodge, he was very enthusiastic.

“More than that, I would encourage strangers to join if I could!”

A friend in the lodge, Tommy Best, also spoke of how he enjoyed it, and explained that the junior lodge went to a church parade in Churchill, and he really enjoyed learning how to march.

Alongside the Junior Lodge from Derrygonnelly there were also a number of other junior lodges on parade that have recently formed, including an amalgamation of young people from District 9 (Lisnarick) and District 10 (Pettigo) to form JOL19.

Elsewhere, the Lisbellaw JWLOL53 were out in a strong number, having formed late last year in what was their first parade as a junior girls lodge.

Superintendent of the Derrygonnelly Junior Lodge, and Deputy County Grand Master, Norman Donaldson said that the junior organisation is growing in the county.

He said: “It is quite early days. We are trying to base it around what young people want to get out of a group of like-minded people.

“Two of my own sons are in it. They [the junior lodge] are the liveliest bunch of boys, they keep you on your toes!

“They are vocal about where they want to go, and what they want to do, and it is them leading us in what they want to do.”

Emphasising the importance of youth for an organisation like the Orange Order, Mr. Donaldson said: “Like any organisation, the lifeline of it is youth.

“We want them to have the association that the fun they are having is through the institution."

He estimated around 50 junior boys and junior ladies were on parade.

Mr. Donaldson also noted that a number of men have joined the institution as their sons have got involved with the juniors.

He described the enthusiasm felt by the young members as he said: “Standing watching it [a parade] is one thing, but getting out and waving at mummy and daddy and granny and granda [from within it] is another thing.”