Orange Order welcomes DUP Commons motion on Drumcree parade dispute

To mark the anniversary, the Orange Order has invited a delegation from every district to Drumcree Parish Church for the largest protest in many years.

In her Early Day Motion, Upper Bann representative Ms Lockhart states: “That this House… regrets that the Parades Commission continues to deny the brethren of Portadown District LOL 1 their right to return home from an act of worship via their traditional route; expresses dismay that despite the willingness of Portadown District to engage in direct or indirect dialogue with residents to find compromise to end the dispute, this has been rejected by the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition; and calls on the Government to assess whether the Parades Commission is fulfilling its duties under the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998 to promote and facilitate mediation as a means of resolving disputes concerning public processions in relation to this parade”.

It is not yet known if the motion will be called for debate on the floor of the House.

In its determination document, the Parades Commission said it had received representation from the Garvaghy Road residents who “reiterated their position that any initiative to facilitate an Orange Order march on the Garvaghy Road would bring to the fore issues, anxieties and fears with the residents consider should remain in the past and which could have wider ramifications”.

The Portadown District was prevented from returning along the Garvaghy Road in 1995, but the parade was eventually allowed to return along its traditional route following a stand-off.

It was again banned from the Garvaghy Road in 1996 but eventually allowed to proceed after almost a week of widespread protest activity and violence. There was further disorder in 1997 when a return parade was also allowed. Since 1998, the Drumcree Sunday event has ended with a short return parade to a police presence at the bridge on the Drumcree Road.

Orange Order grand secretary Rev Mervyn Gibson said the 25th anniversary protest on Sunday “will be a bigger parade than usual”.

He said: “It won’t be a call out for everybody to go, but it will be a bigger parade… and the grand master will speak at the protest.”

Commenting on the latest ban, Rev Gibson said: "The grand master is contacting the Parades Commission and will be complaining about their lack of action and their hypocrisy.

"They won’t talk to the residents. They think it’s a settled deal so they just ignore the Orange, yet in east Belfast they are calling on us to talk to people – but they don’t talk to anybody. They are accountable to no one. There is no one we can complain to about the Parades Commission.”

Commenting on the DUP motion at Westminster, Rev Gibson said: “We welcome anything that raises the profile of the injustice of the Drumcree decision for the past 25 years.”

In its 2023 determination, the commission also said it “concluded that a restriction on the route remains necessary, proportionate and fair in respect of the parade. This decision reflects the potential impacts on community relations in the immediate vicinity of Portadown and across Northern Ireland.”

Ms Lockhart met with the commission last week, and said the body was “turning a deaf ear” to the Orange Order, and had ”no desire to ever see a resolution to this issue that will see any Orange parade proceed along Garvaghy Road".

She said: “That can be the only conclusion when one considers that those who are willing to engage in dialogue, namely Portadown District, continue to be penalised whilst those who refuse to engage in mediation secure determinations... in their favour.“I raised the ongoing frustration amongst the wider community in Portadown at the lack of any intent by the commission and residents to find any form of accommodation or compromise”.