Evening Standard
· collected 2026-09-25 · by Press Association Reporters
Story summary
On September 27, the Parades Commission allowed the Orange Order's Drumcree parade to proceed along Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost 30 years. The commission restricted the number of participants to 35 people, starting at 8 am, and required them to disperse by 9:30 am from Carleton Street Orange Hall, with only the Portadown District banner allowed during this stretch. No supporters or bands were permitted along the parade route near residents' homes on Dungannon Road and Drumcree Road.
The decision drew mixed reactions; DUP hailed it as a breakthrough while Sinn Féin condemned it strongly, viewing it as forcing an Orange march through the community. Garvaghy Road residents had been vehemently opposed to such parades during the 1990s Troubles era, leading to violent clashes and political tension necessitating significant security measures.
Following an unprecedented late-night court hearing concluding at 2:15 am, Justice Michael Humphreys upheld the commission's ruling. Crowds gathered in Portadown early Sunday morning, with many wearing balaclavas, awaiting the parade amidst heavy rain and tense conditions. The hearing acknowledged the unusual circumstances but maintained respect for public bodies' decisions.
Concerns were raised that this go-ahead could disrupt agreements at other flashpoint areas across Northern Ireland, signaling potential challenges to maintaining peace in former conflict zones.
Written for “Drumcree Parade Decision” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 59 other(s) covering the same event.
The Prime Minister has appealed for leaders to “work calmly” through the weekend after the Orange Order was given permission to walk along the Garvaghy Road in Portadown for the first time in almost 30 years.
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Order → appeal → years
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has described the decision as “utterly reckless”, while DUP MP Carla Lockhart said nationalist residents on the road have “nothing to fear” from the march on Sunday.
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residents → describe → Sunday
Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Naomi Long has urged those in leadership against sending a signal that there is “justification for anything other than peaceful protest”.
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Long → urge → protest
The Parades Commission, which rules on contentious marches in Northern Ireland, delivered its highly anticipated ruling on Friday afternoon on the order’s application for the Drumcree parade, following extensive submissions.
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which → rule → submissions
A legal challenge to the ruling will take place on Saturday.
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challenge → take → Saturday
Around 200 people gathered outside Belfast High Court on Friday night where they were addressed by Breandán Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, Ms McDonald and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill.
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they → gather → Coalition
Mr Mac Cionnaith told the crowd that the days of the parade “should never be repeated again”.
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days → tell → parade
Ms McDonald received loud cheers as she told the crowd she was “determined there would be no march along the Garvaghy Road”.
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she → receive → Road
The commission has placed a number of restrictions on the procession, including an 8am start time and limiting the number of participants to 35 people.
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commission → place → people
That is a reduction from the application from the Portadown District of the Orange Order, which proposed 60 Orange Order members take part in the procession on Sunday September 27.
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members → propose → Sunday
The conditions also include that the parade must disperse from Carleton Street Orange Hall no later than 9.30am, and that only the Portadown District banner may be carried or displayed during the Garvaghy Road section.
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banner → include → section
No supporters are to accompany the parade or congregate along the parade route or in the vicinity of homes on the Dungannon Road and Drumcree Road, and no bands may participate.
uncertain
bands → accompany → Road
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is expected to put in place a significant security operation for the parade with officers from outside the region set to assist under mutual aid arrangements.
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officers → expect → arrangements
The residents of the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road strongly opposed the return parade going along the route.
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parade → oppose → route
The Orange Order and the DUP argued it was an opportunity to right a historic wrong.
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it → argue → wrong
It comes after a High Court ruling quashed the commission’s most recent determination over the march.
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ruling → come → march
The body has blocked the order from marching along the Garvaghy Road in July every year since 1998.
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body → block → 1998
The Drumcree parade dominated headlines in the 1990s when violent clashes and political tension necessitated a major security operation for several summers, as Garvaghy Road residents rejected the march passing through the community.
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residents → dominate → community
A number of people were killed during tensions in the 1990s linked to the dispute.
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number → kill → dispute
Following the Friday determination, Mr Burnham told UTV: “Clearly there’ll be concern across Northern Ireland about it.
“
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Burnham → follow → it
It’s a significant decision and all I can say is that the decision has been made – I’m not in a position to cut across the decision because that would be wrong were I to do that.
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I → ’ → that
“The only thing is for me to ask people to work calmly through the events of the weekend – easy for me to say from here and I appreciate very different in Northern Ireland.
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I → ask → Ireland
“But we need to obviously work hard, in these difficult times that we’re in, not to go backwards.”
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we → need → that
Mr Burnham said First Minister Ms O’Neill “will be in touch with” the Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant.
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O’Neill → say → Secretary
“Where support is needed, we will provide it,” the Prime Minister added.
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Minister → need → it
“But we do have to obviously work with the decision.”
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we → have → decision
Speaking to the media in Belfast, Ms McDonald said: “The decision by the Parades Commission is utterly reckless.
“
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decision → speak → Commission
It shows a complete disregard for the rights of the community of the Garvaghy Road, of their absolute right to live free from sectarian harassment.
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It → show → harassment
“But much more than that, it shows absolute disregard and recklessness in respect of the progress that has been made over decades to create a new and hopeful beginning for communities like the Garvaghy Road, right across the north and beyond.
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that → show → north
“We’ve been in touch with the chief constable, with the secretary of state, with the Taoiseach, with the Tánaiste, we have been in touch with all stakeholders to impress upon them that they now, like us, must stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of the Garvaghy Road.
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they → impress → Road
“We are aware that there is an appeal process in the courts this evening, but beyond that it needs to be made clear to the chief constable, to the secretary of state, that this parade must not go ahead.”
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parade → be → state
Ms McDonald said the decision was “an assault and a challenge to the Good Friday Agreement, to the building of peace, to all of the progress that has been made over decades and decades of effort”.
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that → say → effort
She added: “There are implications for the entire political and social environment in which all of us operate.
“That is how serious this is for now.”
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this → add → us
Ms Lockhart spoke to the media at an Orange Hall in Portadown.
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Lockhart → speak → Portadown
She said: “Thirty-five men walking down a road silently with no bands in an orderly fashion; there is nothing to fear.
“These men live, work and do business in this community.
“
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men → say → community
For those residents, I would just ask them not to get caught up in the hysteria that is being shown by Sinn Féin.
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that → ask → Féin
“Look at what is happening, look at the men who are walking.
“These are men that have stood on the hill in Drumcree for 28 years, they haven’t broken a determination of the Parades Commission.
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they → look → Commission
“They are not engaging in any untoward activity.”
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They → engage → activity
Ms Long said people “need to respect the Parades Commission’s determination”.
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people → say → determination
She added: “It is a matter of regret that it did not prove possible to achieve a mediated or agreed accommodation in respect of the proposed Drumcree Orange Order parade.
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it → add → parade
…and 8 more, not listed.
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