24 May 2001 Edition
Garvaghy march allowed
Sinn Féin's Dara O Hagan has slammed the Parades Commission's decision to allow a junior Orange Order march to go ahead along part of the Garvaghy Road on Sunday 26 May.
``This parade has a history of causing considerable trouble and increasing tensions in an already volatile area,'' she said. ``At a period of increasingly loyalist orchestrated violence in the run up to the July marching season, the nationalist people of the Garvaghy Road, who have made every effort to facilitate dialogue with the Orange Order, have once again had their rights trampled upon.''
Earlier in the week, O'Hagan led a Sinn Féin delegation, including Sinn Féin representatives Brian McKeown and Noel Mercer, to meet the Parades Commission to express local concerns over the junior Orange march.
``It was never our intention to seek long term political careers,'' said Garvaghy Road's Breandán Mac Cionnaith, speaking of his and fellow independent councillor Joe Duffy's decision not to seek a second term of office in the forthcoming local government elections. ``Circumstances and necessity forced that electoral option on to us at the time,'' he said.
``Since 1998, the North has commenced upon a path of irreversible change,'' said Breandán, ``change that will apply to Portadown as well as to the rest of the North. While there have been a number of major highlights over the past four years, there have also been extremely low points for ourselves and our community, such as the murders of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Adrian Lamph, cases where many questions remain unanswered.''
The Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition said the onus was now on Sinn Féin and the SDLP to ensure that effective and meaningful representation is provided for the nationalist community of Portadown.
``Electoral intervention in 1997 came about through the necessity of giving this community an effective voice in its struggle against injustice, discrimination and sectarianism,'' said the coalition. ``Breandán and Joe, by maximising the nationalist turnout in 1997, effectively smashed the notion that nationalists in Portadown were somehow or other not entitled to the same treatment and rights as other citizens.
``They ensured that the voice of this community was taken directly to Downing Street, to the Irish government and to the American administration in the White House and the US Congress. They effectively put the spotlight on the absurdity of forcing unwanted sectarian marches through nationalist areas and also highlighted socio economic issues as well.''
Mac Cionnaith thanked all those who had supported Joe and himself. ``In relation to the forthcoming elections we would ask that nationalists again fully exercise their right to vote for the party of their choice,'' he said. ``However we would ask them to be mindful of the need, when voting in the local elections, for having on the ground representation.''
``This parade has a history of causing considerable trouble and increasing tensions in an already volatile area,'' she said. ``At a period of increasingly loyalist orchestrated violence in the run up to the July marching season, the nationalist people of the Garvaghy Road, who have made every effort to facilitate dialogue with the Orange Order, have once again had their rights trampled upon.''
Earlier in the week, O'Hagan led a Sinn Féin delegation, including Sinn Féin representatives Brian McKeown and Noel Mercer, to meet the Parades Commission to express local concerns over the junior Orange march.
Mac Cionnaith and Duffy stand aside
``It was never our intention to seek long term political careers,'' said Garvaghy Road's Breandán Mac Cionnaith, speaking of his and fellow independent councillor Joe Duffy's decision not to seek a second term of office in the forthcoming local government elections. ``Circumstances and necessity forced that electoral option on to us at the time,'' he said.
``Since 1998, the North has commenced upon a path of irreversible change,'' said Breandán, ``change that will apply to Portadown as well as to the rest of the North. While there have been a number of major highlights over the past four years, there have also been extremely low points for ourselves and our community, such as the murders of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Adrian Lamph, cases where many questions remain unanswered.''
The Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition said the onus was now on Sinn Féin and the SDLP to ensure that effective and meaningful representation is provided for the nationalist community of Portadown.
``Electoral intervention in 1997 came about through the necessity of giving this community an effective voice in its struggle against injustice, discrimination and sectarianism,'' said the coalition. ``Breandán and Joe, by maximising the nationalist turnout in 1997, effectively smashed the notion that nationalists in Portadown were somehow or other not entitled to the same treatment and rights as other citizens.
``They ensured that the voice of this community was taken directly to Downing Street, to the Irish government and to the American administration in the White House and the US Congress. They effectively put the spotlight on the absurdity of forcing unwanted sectarian marches through nationalist areas and also highlighted socio economic issues as well.''
Mac Cionnaith thanked all those who had supported Joe and himself. ``In relation to the forthcoming elections we would ask that nationalists again fully exercise their right to vote for the party of their choice,'' he said. ``However we would ask them to be mindful of the need, when voting in the local elections, for having on the ground representation.''