A residents group in Portadown has accused the Orange Order of inflicting years of hardship on their community through parades, as the Orange Order prepares to apply for another Drumcree parade that would include the Garvaghy Road. Breandán Mac Cionnaith, a spokesperson for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition, stated that the order should offer an apology rather than marching in the area.
Details of the planned parade are expected to be announced soon. Mac Cionnaith emphasized that if any discussions were to occur with the Orange Order, the residents of Garvaghy Road should dictate the agenda. "It should be up to the host community to set the agenda, not the visitors," he said. "The community here has been put through hell by the Orange Order - 1995, 96, 97, 98, continue on."
Mac Cionnaith recounted that over the years, the Orange Order has caused distress to the community, without ever issuing an apology or considering alternative routes. He stated that the residents have been "scarred by events of the past" and do not wish for another Drumcree parade. He dismissed claims that he does not represent the broader sentiment of local residents, asserting that a survey of the Garvaghy Road would yield a consistent response: "no, it's over, put it to bed once and for all."
Regarding potential mediation, Mac Cionnaith described past interactions with the Orange Order as being based on a "demand" for a parade. He added, "The Orange Order has never, ever accepted the right of this community, or those who represent it, to put forward another possibility, that there should be no Orange march."
While no specific date for the parade has been set, Sunday, September 27, has been mentioned as a possibility. The Parades Commission will review any parade notification and determine applicable restrictions.