Speaking after the parade, Carla Lockhart said:

“The Northern Ireland Centennial Parade has been eagerly anticipated for over a year now, with the original parade having been postponed as part of the Grand Orange Lodge response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The huge crowds present here today, from Stormont to City Hall, are a reflection of the desire of well over one hundred thousand people to celebrate the enduring success of Northern Ireland, and to look forward with confidence to the next one hundred years.

The music, colour and pageantry of this spectacular event was enjoyed by everyone, and it was lovely to speak with some visitors from beyond these shores who were blown away by what they were seeing and the crowds that had come along to watch. Of course the magnitude of the crowd is symbolic of the bond that exists between large swatches of the community and Orangeism. Many seek to dismiss and denigrate the Loyal Orders, but today shows that our culture is still something that so many people here take a great pride in. It was also greatly encouraging to see so many younger people in the ranks of Lodges and bands. The future of the Institution is secure, but I would encourage anyone interested in joining the Orange Order to take that step.

I commend and congratulate the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland for organising this celebration, and look forward now to the Twelfth demonstrations in July.”