Garvaghy Road residents have spoken of their “relief” after the Parades Commission banned the Orange Order from marching through the nationalist district during this weekend’s All-Ireland football final.
Portadown Orangemen wanted to parade through the area around the same time Armagh are due to line out against Galway in the All-Ireland decider at Croke Park in Dublin on Sunday.
Organisers had wanted the parade, which would have included two bands and an unspecified number of participants and supporters, to leave the Drumcree Road before making its way to Carleton Street.
Earlier this month the Parades Commission placed restrictions on a similar proposal to march along the Garvaghy Road, also for this Sunday, but with an earlier start time of 1pm.
Portadown Orange District LOL 1 confirmed this week that a new application, had specified a 3pm start time.
In a social media statement, Portadown district claimed that applying for the parade at that time “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”.
In its determination, the Parades Commission said that while some local residents might attend the All-Ireland final in person “there is no evidence to indicate that the proposed time of the parade means that resulting disruption to the life of the community would be significantly reduced”.
The commission added that the demographic make up of the Garvaghy Road area has changed in recent years and data from the 2021 census demonstrates “that a very significant percentage of the population indicated ‘Irish only’ as their identity”.
Breandán MacCionnaith, of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition welcomed the determination.
“It is a common sense decision, people here will be able to go about their business on Sunday as normal,” he said.
“There’s a lot of relief in the community that the commission ruled against the parade.
“Most people will be able to watch the match here without any worries at all and those that were fortunate enough to get tickets to travel to the match will be able to go and enjoy it without having to worry about their families and relatives back in the town.”
In a statement posted online on Thursday, Portadown district said it was disappointed by the latest ban.
“We are not surprised that the Parades Commission, along with PSNI, have again prevented us from completing this parade,” it said.
The order has urged residents and Sinn Féin to speak with them to “bring this dispute to a satisfactory conclusion” and confirmed that it has requested a meeting with the Secretary of State Hillary Benn and will be arranging meetings with the PSNI chief constable and Parades Commission.
Sinn Féin councillor Paul Duffy said the Parades Commission determination was “the right decision”.
“This most recent application was a stunt, it was arrogant, insulting and derogatory and designed to increase tensions and cause division,” he said.
“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 Carla Lockhart spoke of her disappointment.
“The only conclusion that can be drawn from today’s determination by the Parades Commission is that neither the commission nor the local community on Garvaghy Road have any intention of finding a solution,” she said.
“That can only result in a worsening of community relations and ongoing division in our community. Such an outcome is deeply regrettable.”
