+34
The High Court in Belfast overturned the Parades Commission's decision to impose restrictions on the Drumcree Orange Order parade, triggering strong reactions from the unionist community. DUP Minister Gordon Lyons expressed that the decision had caused a 'huge amount of anger' among unionists, while the Commission noted procedural changes would be implemented. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the Portadown march and the community's response to perceived attempts to revisit past conflicts.
DUP’s Gordon Lyons says ‘huge anger’ followed Parades Commission restrictions on Orange Order event Michelle O'Neill, second right, speaks to reporters near Garvaghy Road, Portadown, after the High Court quashed the Parades Commission's decision to impose restrictions on the Orange Order parade at Drumcree.
Photograph: Niall Carson/PA, on Wednesday and she said political unionism wanted to “revisit those dark days”, referring to widespread disorder seen in 1998 and previous years because of tensions around the march along that route. communities minister Gordon Lyons said there was “a huge amount of anger” in the unionist community over the commission’s decisions to impose restrictions on the annual Orange Order parade.
At the High Court in Belfast on Tuesday, this year’s determination was quashed after the court heard it had not been considered in its “final form” by all members of the commission. In a statement, the Parades Commission said it had already “implemented procedural changes to address the issue identified in the proceedings”. Police and Orangemen face each other at the 25th anniversary of the Drumcree parade in Portadown in 2023.
It was 25 years since the parade was first prevented from completing its traditional return route along Garvaghy Road. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Speaking after meeting Garvaghy Road residents, O’Neill said: “This is a very confident community, a community that’s very much looking towards the future and do not want “But this is a community that’s also anxious, very anxious, by what they saw yesterday – a triumphalism that was expressed by the leaders of unionism standing shoulder to shoulder, claiming a victory over this community.
“The anxiety that was felt in this community yesterday was what they saw on display by the leaders of political union. “What they can’t fathom here in this community is why the leaders of political unionism want to revisit those dark days. “That does beg the question: why is unionism limping ever more, or day by day, to the more extreme element of things in society?
“It will be lost on no one in Northern Ireland how the ‘First Minister for all’ appears to take no issue with a public body that has been found to act unlawfully,” he said. “It’s not triumphalist to expect that applications made to the Parades Commission should be considered properly, in line with legislation and without the inherent disrespect that was revealed during the recent application.
“We often hear that the law should be applied equally, but Michelle O’Neill’s blind spot when it comes to a legitimate application by Portadown District Lodge that was treated so dismissively is revealing. Lyons said earlier on Wednesday that the unionist community had “absolutely” lost confidence in the Parades Commission.
“It lost it a long time ago, but what we had yesterday was just another example and very clear evidence of how that has happened,” he said. “I think most people will be shocked, in fact outraged, at the way in which the commission made their decisions. “Decisions being signed off on by commissioners that haven’t even read them, business being done in that manner by WhatsApp, so there’s a huge amount of anger out there in the unionist community.
“I think that anybody that’s interested and is concerned about good governance should be worried about what has come out of court yesterday in terms of what was made public about the goings-on of the commission, so very, very limited confidence, I would say, across the country. ”Asked if he would be supportive of the Orange Order making an application to march on the Garvaghy Road, Lyons said: “Of course, because everybody deserves the right to have their application determined in a fair way, with all of the factors taken into consideration.
“Unfortunately, people have been penalised, the Orange Order have been penalised in that area because they’ve been willing to engage with local residents, but because local residents haven’t been willing to engage, they have essentially held that veto powers. “That is wrong, and there are big lessons here to be learned, and we certainly welcome all of the information that was revealed in court yesterday.
” – Press AssociationBoston Scientific lays groundwork to shift $15bn from Irish operationCAO points 2026: Live updates as students receive round one offers ‘It’s a very, very high calibre of people’ - Leinster CEO delighted with candidates for new head coach
Orange Order Parades Commission High Court Unionist Community Portadown
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ireland’s padel court building boom in full swing despite high-profile planning refusalsDemand for facilities has risen significantly since Covid pandemic, according to sport’s federation
Read more »
Two Men to Apply for Bail in High Court over Rape and False Imprisonment ChargesTwo men accused of rape and false imprisonment of a woman at Ceannt Station in Galway are to apply for bail in the High Court later this week.
Read more »
Grafton Education acquires school laptop supplier involved in High Court rowPC Peripherals is rebranding as Eduvolve in ‘€2.5m deal’
Read more »
High Court Judge Disagrees with Colleague's Ruling on Unlawful DetentionA High Court Judge has disagreed with a colleague's ruling on a Dublin man's bail application, criticising their stance on the issue of unlawful detention. In a written judgment, Judge Garrett Simons argued that a solicitor's refusal to represent an accused person does not justify their detention.
Read more »