Parades Commission issues determination in relation to Orange Order's Drumcree parade proposal

In a determination issued on Thursday afternoon, the commission said: “The parade is prohibited from entering that part of the notified route between Drumcree Parish Church on Drumcree Road, and Castle Street.

"The parade prohibited from entering that part of the notified route which includes the entire length of the Garvaghy Road, including Parkmount and Victoria Terrace.”

The once-traditional parade from a church service at Drumcree Parish Church hasn’t been permitted to complete its return leg along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road area of Portadown since it was stopped by the Parades Commission in 1998.

According to the local Orange district, this Sunday would the ideal time to allow the 1998 parade to be completed as it would have have less impact with the majority of the community either "away to Croke Park" or watching the Armagh team play on TV.

The parade proposal has been backed by the DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart who said: “A 10-minute church parade should be offensive to no one and especially given the circumstances in which this application has been made.”

However, Sinn Fein has described the parade application is “a stunt designed to increase tensions and cause division,” and added: “It is insulting and derogatory towards the people of the Garvaghy Road… who have enjoyed 26 years of peace since contentious parades were prevented from going through the area.

“They 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.”

A statement earlier this week from Portadown Orange District LOL 1 said: “There has also been a big change in demographics of [those] who live within this area with a lot of foreign nationals coming into the area, so we believe that the time is now to look at all the factors again and a decision made with more up to date facts.”

It said: “As a district we believe by applying for a parade on Sunday 28th July 2024 at 3pm from Drumcree Church will bring the least impact on the majority of the community that live there as most will either be away to Croke Park, or will be in clubs, pubs or at home watching and supporting their county Armagh GAA playing in the final of the All Ireland”.