19 June 1997 Edition
Countdown to Drumcree 3
Peader Whelan describes how the Orange Order's refusal to talk is pushing the Six Counties towards a repeat of last summer
``We will not be talking to anyone ever, and I mean anyone. I will be going into Drumcree Church with Portadown District and I will be coming out of church and going down the Garvaghy Road and that's it''.
These words were uttered by Portadown Orange Grand Master Harold Gracey in the past week, a week that has set the scene for Drumcree 3. It is clear from the intent of Gracey's remarks that the Orange Order has no regard for the wishes or feelings of the people through whose area the Orange Order wants to march.
The residents of the Garvaghy Road had written to the Orange Order asking for ``breathing space'' for their community. A simple request, made in light of the recent killing of local man Robert Hamill who was kicked to death by a loyalist mob; but the Orangemen chose to ignore it and filed for their parade to take its usual route from Portadown Town centre along the Corcrain Road to Drumcree and back to their Hall in Carlton Street through the predominantly nationalist estates on the Garvaghy Road.
In response the Garvaghy Road Residents Association filed for a street carnival for Sunday 6 July to coincide with the Orange march.
And in anticipation of trouble resulting from a Drumcree 3 stand-off the Bogside Residents Group (BRG) has filed for marches in Derry City every day from 6 to 12 July. ``This is an attempt to give leadership in the eventuality that the Orange march is forced down the Garvaghy Road,'' said BRG spokesperson Donncha Mac Niallais.
In the meantime the Orange Order in Derry confirmed on Thursday 12 June that it intends holding its main County Derry parade through Derry City and along the City Walls overlooking the Bogside, a move that has further angered local residents.
``In light of events that occurred in the city last summer people are now asking why the Orange Order has chosen Derry to be a marching ground just days after Drumcree,'' said MacNiallais.
The BRG wanted the parades issue resolved through dialogue but the Orange Orders were intent on ignoring the requests of the residents groups, he added.
According to the views of many nationalists the Orange Order believes it doesn't have to negotiate because the British government buckled under pressure last year and will do the same this year.
If this view is accurate then it bodes ill for the attempts being made by the present Direct Ruler Marjorie Mowlam whose shuttle diplomacy has until now not paid off.
At a recent meeting on the Ormeau Road with Orange Order chiefs and spokespersons for the Loyalist pressure group ORDER, Mowlam received a frosty reception.
And just hours after Mowlam met with Portadown Orangemen and the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition the Orangemen reiterated their refusal to negotiate while Breandan MacCionnaith stressed that there could be ``no resolution without negotiations''.
In a further development Michael Goodman of the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community handed in a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to ask for his support for ``the rerouting of Orange marches and other loyalist parades away from our community''.
The letter handed in at Downing Street on Friday 13 June stated, ``while we agree with all those who have said that dialogue and compromise are the way forward we would like to point out that we have tried consistently since 1992 to open dialogue with the Orange Order, however we have just as consistently met with a refusal to discuss the issue''.
The letter repeated the view that the Orange Order will not discuss the issue, believing instead that the British government will capitulate to their threats.
So as Alistair Graham, chair of the Parades Commission, announced on Tuesday 18 June that he didn't believe there would be agreement in Portadown this summer and that the ``Chief Constable and Secretary of State are going to have to take difficult decisions'', he was only telling us what we already knew - that the last British government's attempt to wash its hands of its responsibility for the marches was always going to fall flat on its face because the Orange Order had no intention of compromising.
Gerry Adams, calling for an ``intimidation free summer'', said that the ``nationalist people of Garvaghy Road and Lower Ormeau Road and other areas threatened with Orange marches are entitled to plan their summer months free from the fear that Orange marches bring to their areas''. He placed the onus on the Orange Order to ``unilaterally take an initiative which will ease the pressure on nationalist areas''.
``There is no substitute for face to face discussions,'' Adams said.
Bellaghy march on Sunday
The Orange Order have applied to march through Bellaghy this Sunday 22 June. As we went to print it was unclear exactly which part of the town the Order would be allowed to pass through. Sinn Féin sources suggested that they would be restricted to the town's commercial district. Local residents have applied for a counter protest, and have been restricted to the nationalist part of the town. Nationalists were set to meet with Dr Majorie Mowlam during the week to discuss the marching issue, but the meeting was cancelled.
``We will not be talking to anyone ever, and I mean anyone. I will be going into Drumcree Church with Portadown District and I will be coming out of church and going down the Garvaghy Road and that's it''.
These words were uttered by Portadown Orange Grand Master Harold Gracey in the past week, a week that has set the scene for Drumcree 3. It is clear from the intent of Gracey's remarks that the Orange Order has no regard for the wishes or feelings of the people through whose area the Orange Order wants to march.
The residents of the Garvaghy Road had written to the Orange Order asking for ``breathing space'' for their community. A simple request, made in light of the recent killing of local man Robert Hamill who was kicked to death by a loyalist mob; but the Orangemen chose to ignore it and filed for their parade to take its usual route from Portadown Town centre along the Corcrain Road to Drumcree and back to their Hall in Carlton Street through the predominantly nationalist estates on the Garvaghy Road.
In response the Garvaghy Road Residents Association filed for a street carnival for Sunday 6 July to coincide with the Orange march.
And in anticipation of trouble resulting from a Drumcree 3 stand-off the Bogside Residents Group (BRG) has filed for marches in Derry City every day from 6 to 12 July. ``This is an attempt to give leadership in the eventuality that the Orange march is forced down the Garvaghy Road,'' said BRG spokesperson Donncha Mac Niallais.
In the meantime the Orange Order in Derry confirmed on Thursday 12 June that it intends holding its main County Derry parade through Derry City and along the City Walls overlooking the Bogside, a move that has further angered local residents.
``In light of events that occurred in the city last summer people are now asking why the Orange Order has chosen Derry to be a marching ground just days after Drumcree,'' said MacNiallais.
The BRG wanted the parades issue resolved through dialogue but the Orange Orders were intent on ignoring the requests of the residents groups, he added.
According to the views of many nationalists the Orange Order believes it doesn't have to negotiate because the British government buckled under pressure last year and will do the same this year.
If this view is accurate then it bodes ill for the attempts being made by the present Direct Ruler Marjorie Mowlam whose shuttle diplomacy has until now not paid off.
At a recent meeting on the Ormeau Road with Orange Order chiefs and spokespersons for the Loyalist pressure group ORDER, Mowlam received a frosty reception.
And just hours after Mowlam met with Portadown Orangemen and the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition the Orangemen reiterated their refusal to negotiate while Breandan MacCionnaith stressed that there could be ``no resolution without negotiations''.
In a further development Michael Goodman of the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community handed in a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to ask for his support for ``the rerouting of Orange marches and other loyalist parades away from our community''.
The letter handed in at Downing Street on Friday 13 June stated, ``while we agree with all those who have said that dialogue and compromise are the way forward we would like to point out that we have tried consistently since 1992 to open dialogue with the Orange Order, however we have just as consistently met with a refusal to discuss the issue''.
The letter repeated the view that the Orange Order will not discuss the issue, believing instead that the British government will capitulate to their threats.
So as Alistair Graham, chair of the Parades Commission, announced on Tuesday 18 June that he didn't believe there would be agreement in Portadown this summer and that the ``Chief Constable and Secretary of State are going to have to take difficult decisions'', he was only telling us what we already knew - that the last British government's attempt to wash its hands of its responsibility for the marches was always going to fall flat on its face because the Orange Order had no intention of compromising.
Gerry Adams, calling for an ``intimidation free summer'', said that the ``nationalist people of Garvaghy Road and Lower Ormeau Road and other areas threatened with Orange marches are entitled to plan their summer months free from the fear that Orange marches bring to their areas''. He placed the onus on the Orange Order to ``unilaterally take an initiative which will ease the pressure on nationalist areas''.
``There is no substitute for face to face discussions,'' Adams said.
Bellaghy march on Sunday
The Orange Order have applied to march through Bellaghy this Sunday 22 June. As we went to print it was unclear exactly which part of the town the Order would be allowed to pass through. Sinn Féin sources suggested that they would be restricted to the town's commercial district. Local residents have applied for a counter protest, and have been restricted to the nationalist part of the town. Nationalists were set to meet with Dr Majorie Mowlam during the week to discuss the marching issue, but the meeting was cancelled.