DUP hails 'breakthrough' on Drumcree parade as Sinn Féin condemns decision

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has hailed the decision to permit the first Orange Order parade along the Garvaghy Road in nearly three decades as a "significant breakthrough." However, Sinn Féin's vice president, Michelle O'Neill, strongly condemned the Parades Commission's ruling, claiming it "forces an unwanted Orange march through the Garvaghy Road community."

The commission has imposed several restrictions on the procession, such as an 8 am start time, a participant limit of 35, and a ban on supporters accompanying the parade. The parade is scheduled for Sunday, September 27, with the route starting from Carleton Street Orange Hall and ending at the Dungannon Road and Drumcree Road. No bands will participate in the procession.

O'Neill questioned the ruling, asserting that there is no reasonable or logical basis for the Parades Commission's decision, as the Garvaghy Road community has lived in peace for 28 years without requiring a solution. She emphasized that the parade is "steeped in a history of hate, sectarian violence and murder." The DUP leader, Gavin Robinson, welcomed the decision, stating that it is a "significant and long-overdue breakthrough" for Portadown District and the wider unionist community.

He argued that, in 2026, Orangemen walking silently and peacefully down a road should not be a major issue in a shared society. Robinson highlighted that the participating Orangemen have consistently offered dialogue and mediation, and the police have no information indicating that the parade will result in disorder or violence.