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'He gets up in the morning and he drums all day'

Ali Gordon and Emma Orr
BBC News NI
Claire Reaney A small blonde boy wearing a navy tracksuit and orange sash bangs a lambeg drum which says 'hill haven flute band county Armagh loughgall'Claire Reaney
Teddy caught the drumming bug early

The Twelfth of July is the biggest day of the year for marching bands and their spectators in Northern Ireland.

On Saturday, Orange Order parades are taking place to memorialise King William III's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690.

While the majority of those taking part in the parades are adults, the future of such events, and the bands' memberships, rely on new, younger, members coming through, like two-year-old Teddy and eight-year-old Ronnie.

Teddy caught the drumming bug early.

Claire Reaney A small blonde boy stands in a blue football kit with a tiny drum in front of him. He holds drum sticks in his hands and stares off camera. Claire Reaney
After sharing videos of the young drummer on social media, Claire says the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive

"He gets up in the morning and he starts to drum, and he drums all day, and that's just it," Teddy's mum Claire told BBC News NI.

The toddler from Portadown, County Armagh, got his first drum on his first birthday.

"He'd be sitting in his high chair with his spoons in his hand and he was always drumming, always banging," Claire said.

Claire credits Teddy's father's family and Rectory Community Action Group for nurturing Teddy's love for drumming through group sessions with local bands.

"We would attend quite a few band parades throughout the year and it's just something that he really, really loves," she said.

"He's in awe every time he sees them going past, and he loves the Lambeg drum as well, it's not just the side drum, he's obsessed with drums in general."

After sharing videos of the young drummer on social media, Claire says the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

"They are just completely baffled by how someone so small can play the way he does," she added.

Jess Kavanagh A boy wearing a navy bandsman's uniform and a hat holds a paid of cymbals. He stares at the camera smiling. Jess Kavanagh
Eight-year-old Ronnie, joined the Robert Memorial Flute Band in Crawfordsburn, County Down, last year

Meanwhile Ronnie, joined the Robert Memorial Flute Band in Crawfordsburn, County Down, last year and practises his drumming every day.

His two favourite things are building Lego and playing his drum.

With the help of his mum and dad, he has been sharing his passions on TikTok, amassing more than 300,000 views on clips of him playing the drum and cymbals.

"What I'm most looking forward to about the Twelfth is parading with my band," he told BBC News NI.

"It's good to see all different bands all parade together with lots of people and all my family coming to watch."

Like many others marching across Northern Ireland, Ronnie will be marching alongside a member of his family.

His cousin, Jamie, "is the main drummer" and brings him along to practice and to parades.

Jess Kavanagh A boy wearing a navy bandsman's uniform and a hat holds a drum, held around his neck and in his hands are two drum sticks. He stares at the camera with a neutral expression on his face. Jess Kavanagh
"What I'm most looking forward to about the Twelfth is parading with my band," says Ronnie

Band captain Alan Griffith, from Robert Memorial, says "it's a really proud moment when you're walking alongside your children or other family members".

"It's tradition for a lot of families and it's brilliant to see the young ones coming through, enjoying themselves.

Jess Kavanagh A band passes through a town. The members wear navy uniforms and are a mix of ages. Two young boys clash cymbals, while in the background a man hits a Lambeg drum Jess Kavanagh
Like many others marching across Northern Ireland, Ronnie will be marching alongside a member of his family

"We have kids with additional needs and learning difficulties who struggle in a lot of other situations and they come to us and go through the ranks and they thrive.

"It's amazing watching them all develop."