The annual July 12 parade passes St Patrick's Church in Belfast city centre. Picture by Hugh Russell

THE main Belfast Orange Order parade passed St Patrick's Church in Donegall Street without major incident yesterday in one of the most peaceful marching seasons in over a decade.

While there was a heavy police presence in the area, for both the outward and return legs of the march, all bands abided by a Parades Commission determination to play only a single drum beat while passing the city centre church.

A PSNI sign informed those taking part that there was to be no music played between the junction of the Westlink and Clifton Street until the bands reached the Union Street junction with Donegall Street.

While some played music shortly before the Union Street junction during the morning parade, the breaches were minor in comparison to previous years.

The main Belfast parade set off from nearby Clifton Street Orange Hall at around 10am and included 21 bands and more than 1,000 participants on the way to the order's annual demonstration at Barnett's Demesne.

Among those involved were the controversial Bellshill Protestant Boys Flute Band, filmed recently playing as The Famine Song was sung during an Orange Order parade in Glasgow. The song is banned in Scotland.

However, there was no repeat yesterday and the band observed the determination while passing the church.

No supporters were permitted to accompany the parade on the controversial section of the route.

A much smaller return parade also passed off without incident in the evening, amid a massive de-escalation of tensions around parading in the area.

There was no application made for a nationalist protest and only a handful of observers watched as the march passed, including Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee and the party's north Belfast assembly member Caral Ní Cuillín.

A representative of the Irish government was also present to observe the parade.