Thousands of Orange Order members marched in Northern Ireland today as part of the annual July 12th marking of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
And according to RTE the North's new Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, attended a parade for the first time as part of efforts to build relations "with all communities."
The Irish national broadcaster day reported that a day after meeting Tánaiste Micheal Martin in County Down, Benn travelled to County Fermanagh to watch one of 18 parades being held across Northern Ireland, with tens of thousands of members of the Orange Order on the march and thousands more lining the routes.
Speaking before watching the parade in Irvinestown, Mr. Benn said he wants to be an honest broker who is "a friend to all" but "beholden to none."
He described his visit as part of a family pilgrimage as he was visiting the grave of his great great grandfather after the parade.
Added RTE: The Northern Secretary was asked if his attendance was part of the new British government's stated policy to reset relations with political parties and all communities in Northern Ireland, as well as between London and Dublin.
"I see my job as being a friend to all, beholden to none, but an honest broker in Northern Ireland. I want to engage with all communities, all traditions, because in the end we've got to work together to make Northern Ireland work."
Mr. Benn said his number one priority is to ensure that the devolved government at Stormont endures.
On Thursday evening, "11th Night" in the Orange tradition, hundreds of bonfires were lit across the North. As is annually the case some of them featured blatantly sectarian placards that prompted condemnation from some public representatives.
