Garvaghy Road stand-off continues for third day

THE STAND-OFF ON the Garvaghy Road in Portadown over a contentious Orange Order parade has entered its third day despite efforts to mediate a solution. 

A planned Orange Order march on the predominantly nationalist road was stalled after a large crowd of protesters, including multiple Dáil TDs, gathered in the area to prevent the parade going ahead.

Meanwhile, members of the Orange Order stood outside Drumcree Church.

The Drumcree parade, which was associated with violent clashes during the Troubles, has been banned since 1998. The march received permission from a Belfast court in the early hours of Sunday morning to proceed along the road.  

Stormont power-sharing came under threat after opposition parties accused representatives who joined protesters on Garvaghy Road of breaking the law.

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Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant warned that retaining power-sharing was “the most important thing”, saying the dispute risked damaging perceptions of Northern Ireland as a place to invest.

Bryant is facilitating what he has described as “positive” talks, which he said he is prepared to continue today after returning from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

He said he is “very keen to get to some kind of solution” and said he had been speaking to as many people “as possible” and was “exploring every option” to find a resolution.

“It’s not quite clear what that will look like yet, but kind of – a bit through the mist – I can see maybe what that might look like if I can persuade everybody to sign up,” Bryant told reporters at Hillsborough Castle.

The Garvaghy Road Residents’ Association has said it is willing to enter mediation aimed at finding a long-term resolution to the Drumcree dispute.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith said residents wanted any mediator to have experience in conflict resolution and to come from outside Ireland and Britain.