Orange unity on show at Drumcree on 25th anniversary of parade being banned from Garvaghy Road

A quarter of a century has passed since the Parades Commission ruled that Portadown District LOL No 1 could not set foot on the Garvaghy Road.

That decision led to significant unrest and while many have stopped talking about Drumcree, local Orangemen have held a protest there every Sunday.

Orange Order Grand Secretary Mervyn Gibson told those gathered that the dispute at Drumcree was far from being “sorted”.

He said that standing close to the police line brought back memories of the Orange Order and the wider unionist community standing together.

He said: “It’s great but also sad to see that brethren have been standing here for 25 years – 25 years and everybody thinks its sorted.”

“Recent interviews on the radio, I was told ‘this is sorted’, I assured them it wasn’t sorted and that brethren would remain here until there is a resolution.”

Portadown District Master Nigel Dawson told: “We have now been here 25 years waiting for wrong to be righted. Despite meeting with two prime ministers, fifteen secretaries of state and every chair of the commission, we still find ourselves here today.

“Surely after all this time they have got the message that we will be here until this is sorted."

Orange Order Grand Master Edward Stevenson, who was at Drumcree ytoday, said: “The decision by the Parades Commission to block this parade once again, without any meaningful effort to facilitate mediation between the district and those who oppose it, is simply a disgrace.”