The Order was founded in 1795 following clashes between Protestant and Catholic factions in County Armagh. This mêlée, known now as the Battle of the Diamond, is one of the major events in Orange folk history, together with two incidents in the seventeenth century when Protestants prevailed over Catholics, the Siege of Derry in 1689 and the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. In later years the Orange Order established what came to be known as the marching season, holding hundreds of parades during the summer months. In the nineteenth century these gave rise to recurring riots, particularly in
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