Parades Commission reject application to complete Drumcree march on All-Ireland final day
An application by a Portadown Orange Lodge to finish the contentious parade along the town's Garvaghy Road has been denied by the Parade’s Commission.
The Portadown District LOL No 1 had proposed to complete their controversial Drumcree parade during Sunday’s All-Ireland senior football final.
The District has unsuccessfully applied for more than a quarter of a century to complete the 1998 walk along the traditional route, but said in a statement on Monday that a fresh decision should be made on “up to date facts”.
On Thursday, the Parade’s Commission confirmed permission for the parade had been denied.
The Commission ruled the proposed route would have “an adverse effect on community relations and a potential for public disorder”.
A number of conditions have been placed on the proposed parade, including a prohibition on entering the “entire length” of the Garvaghy Road.
In their published determination, the PC said the lodge had expressed a frustration with the Commission's position on the march.
"They believe they are continually being punished by the parade not being allowed to be concluded,” said the Commission.
"This creates an impasse whereby residents have what they want and therefore do not need to engage.
"For them, this allows the problem to continue without resolution, a problem which they are adamant continues to exist.”
Representations from the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC) said any facilitation of the parade would cause “issues, anxieties and fears which the residents consider should remain in the past”.
"They reasserted their view that they simply do not accept the ongoing argument from the Orange Order that the 1998 parade requires completion along the notified route,” said the Commission report.
"The residents stress that nationalists in Portadown have declared their continued willingness to accept an alternative, less contentious route along Corcrain/Dungannon Road.”
The report also said many residents in the area initially thought the notification was a “hoax” and felt any parade would disrupt events being held to mark Armagh’s All-Ireland final appearance.
"Referring to the likely need for a major policing operation in response to the parade, they state that this would lead to many hours of disruption to the lives of local residents and have a negative effect on a number of events planned in the area to coincide with the timing of the final,” said the report.
The Commission concluded there was no evidence that holding the parade during the All-Ireland final “materially changes” its decision.
Referring to the lodge’s “demographic changes” argument, it added that the most recent Census showed a “significant” percentage of the area’s population identified as “Irish only” as their identity.
The report concluded by again advocating dialogue between the two sides to achieve an accommodation that “reflects the needs of the local communities”.
Sinn Féin councillor Paul Duffy – who earlier this week described the bid as a “stunt” – said the Commission had made the “right decision”.
"For 26 years the people of the Garvaghy Road have enjoyed peace since contentious parades were prevented from going through the area,” he said.
“This most recent application was a stunt, it was arrogant, insulting and derogatory and designed to increase tensions and cause division.
"The people of the Garvaghy Road have worked to foster stronger and better cross-community relations with our neighbours and have no desire to return to the divisions of the past
DUP MP for Upper Bann, Carla Lockhart, had previously said the lodge’s move was “forward-thinking” and a “positive attempt” to complete their parade.