Royal Black Institution hold Last Saturday parades

Two men with Mr Whippy ice creams standing in front of an ice cream van. They are wearing dark suits and black sashes with green trim, the man on the right has a black bowler on and the man on the left is bald.Pacemaker

The Royal Black Institution traditionally brings the parading season to a close at the end of August

The Royal Black Institution marked the finale of the parading season with six major Last Saturday demonstrations, also known as Black Saturday.

More than 17,000 members took part in the parades involving around 350 preceptories and 300 bands.

The parades were held in Antrim, Dundrum, Castlederg, Cookstown, Ballyclare and Limavady.

The biggest demonstration was in Dundrum in County Down, with up to 10,000 expected to attend including 97 bands.

Members of the Royal Black Institution walking along a street carrying banners and flags. They are wearing dark suits and black sashes, some of them have also got black bowler hats on.Pacemaker

Marching taking place in Antrim on Saturday

What is the Royal Black Institution?

A band marches through Belfast, they are wearing dark blue trousers, lighter blue shirts and dark blue peaked caps. A man at the back of the procession wearing a black suit and orange sash is carrying a Union flag.

Members of the Royal Black Institution were accompanied by bands

The Royal Black Institution has about 17,000 members.

While most are based in Northern Ireland, there are preceptories in Scotland, England, the Republic of Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The institution holds two main demonstrations each year – the 13 July Sham Fight and the Last Saturday.

A woman in a red suit with a black peaked cap is holding a silver tuba. A man stands beside her in a black suit with a black sash with red trim. He holds an umbrella.Pacemake

Participants sheltered from the rain at Saturday's parade in Antrim

Two years after the formation of the Orange Order in 1795, the Royal Black Institution came into existence in Ireland in 1797.

It describes on its website that it is "totally based on the teachings of Holy Scripture and is committed to the furtherance of the Christian message of the Cross”.

Members refer to each other as Sir Knights.

Former Ulster Unionist Party leader Jim Molyneaux was sovereign grand master from 1971 to 1995.

The Reverend William Anderson is the current head of the organisation.

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