The Newshound

Sinn Féin is to deliver 'crystal clear' warning to Parades Commission as Drumcree march threatens to unravel peace deals

From the Newshound archive · first published 21 September 2026 · last updated 22 September 2026.

An Orange Order march at Drumcree, as eleven nationalist residents' groups warn that hard-won parade agreements across Northern Ireland could collapse if the Order is allowed back onto the Garvaghy Road.
An Orange Order march at Drumcree, as eleven nationalist residents' groups warn that hard-won parade agreements across Northern Ireland could collapse if the Order is allowed back onto the Garvaghy Road.

Eleven nationalist residents' groups have warned that hard-won parade accommodations across Northern Ireland could collapse if the Orange Order is permitted to march down the Garvaghy Road in Portadown for the first time since 1998. First Minister Michelle O'Neill is to lead a Sinn Féin delegation to the Parades Commission on Wednesday, demanding the application be refused. The Drumcree stand-off sparked violent clashes across multiple summers in the 1990s before the route was banned.

Groups including the Bogside Residents Association and Lower Ormeau Concerned Community signed a joint solidarity letter with Garvaghy Road residents.

DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart hit back, accusing Sinn Féin of 'returning to its 1990s playbook' and demanding direct talks with the Orange Order.

O'Neill warned: 'Why does anyone want to reopen what was the horrific time of Drumcree?'

MoreEvening StandardSinn Fein set to press Parades Commission over Drumcree march fearsthe-independent.comSinn Fein set to press Parades Commission over Drumcree march fears - the-independent.comSSBCrackNationalist Groups Warn of Unraveling Tensions Over Orange Order March in Portadown - SSBCrack
Read today's full feed at The Newshound →