Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd has called on An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to visit the Garvaghy Road in Portadown and hear directly from residents “now once again facing uncertainty, anxiety and fear” over a proposed Drumcree march.
It follows confirmation from Portadown Orange District LOL 1 that the Parades Commission has appointed a mediation facilitator in a bid to address the long‑running Drumcree parading dispute – a move the district described last week as a “significant development”.
Inviting the Taoiseach to the area, Upper Bann MLA Mr O’Dowd said the Irish Government had “a responsibility to promote the rights of residents to live free from sectarianism and an obligation to protect the progress secured over the past decades”.
“My invitation to An Taoiseach is straightforward. Come to the Garvaghy Road, meet and listen to residents who have lived in peace for 28 years but are now once again facing uncertainty, anxiety and fear caused by the prospect of an unwanted sectarian march through their community,” he said.
“The application by the Orange Order to march down the Garvaghy Road is an attempt to reopen old wounds and it is being exploited by political unionism to challenge the progress that has been made.
“I am concerned that there has been no visible engagement from the Irish Government on the issue. Residents are entitled to be heard and treated with respect.
“As we get closer to the Parade Commission’s determination I urge Micheál Martin to accept my invitation and meet with Garvaghy Road residents urgently.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, Portadown Orange District said it had been informed that the Parades Commission had now appointed a mediation facilitator in relation to the dispute.
“We can confirm that the Parades Commission have now appointed a mediation facilitator. This is a significant development,” the district said.
“We have for many years argued for mediation, but this was rejected and instead obstinate refusals to engage in dialogue was rewarded by the Parades Commission, allowing a veto to be exercised by those who refused to engage. It is welcome it is recognised that position is no longer sustainable.”
The district said it had “confirmed our readiness to commence the mediation process as a matter of urgency without any preconditions”.
“We wish to engage in dialogue and consultation in a respectful manner based upon principles of tolerance and inclusion,” it continued.
However, the Order also warned that mediation “cannot be used as a device to obstruct or impede consideration of our upcoming notification” and expressed disappointment at what it described as delay by the Parades Commission in starting the process.
“We urge those opposed to our exercise of the peaceful enjoyment of our rights to enter into dialogue and together we can seek to achieve a resolution to this longstanding issue, building a tolerant and rights‑based society, respecting everyone,” the statement added.
The district reiterated what it called an “unequivocal commitment to the rule of law”, insisting there was “no threat of any form of disorder, disruption or violence from our community” and that any “unjust interference” with their rights would be challenged “using the legal process exclusively”.
Garvaghy Road residents’ representatives have repeatedly argued that the Drumcree issue is “settled” and that the march cannot return through the nationalist estate after almost three decades of Parades Commission determinations barring the route.
Earlier this summer, they urged the Orange Order to “accept reality”, insisting there was “no appetite” in the community for revisiting the dispute and warning that any attempt to force a parade down the road would be seen as a backward step.
With a fresh parade application lodged and a mediation process now formally in play, attention will turn to the Parades Commission’s forthcoming determination – and to whether Mr Martin will accept Mr O’Dowd’s invitation to hear residents’ concerns in person.
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