Talks aimed at resolving the Drumcree parade dispute have broken up without agreement, as a legal appeal over the contentious march is scheduled for Monday.
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant described the situation as being between a “rock and a hard place” after unsuccessful late-night negotiations at Hillsborough Castle with representatives from the Orange Order and Garvaghy Road residents on the fifth day of the stand-off.
Talks end without settled agreement
The Portadown District of the unionist Orange Order wants to complete its traditional route for the first time in almost 30 years after the Parades Commission ruled they should be allowed along the Garvaghy Road, but the coalition of residents in the largely nationalist area is opposed to the march going ahead.
Sir Chris told reporters his door remained open for further discussion, but said: “This is the end of these conversations.
“We haven’t come to a settled agreement and it’s a shame but my door remains open obviously, tomorrow and in future days.
“We’ve discussed a wide range of options, including mediation, including an option where the right to march was respected but wasn’t exercised, including an option where there was a final march and no further applications for marches into the future, and we’ve not managed to come to agreement on any of all that.”
Sir Chris added: “I still believe that keeping conversations going and the dialogue going is a really important part of coming to a resolution for everybody.
“There’s a court case on Monday. Obviously, we’ll have to see how that plays out.
“And I would say that the law, in the end, is the law.”
The legal bid over the parade decision which was launched by residents had been due to be heard on Friday but was postponed until Monday to allow talks to continue.
Orange Order and residents respond
Loyalist activist and legal adviser to the Orangemen Jamie Bryson said they will accept the determination of the legal appeal on Monday as he challenged residents of Garvaghy Road to commit to walking away if their bid fails.
Speaking after the talks ended without agreement on Thursday night, Mr Bryson said: “The challenge that we would put down to the Garvaghy Road residents – they’re going to the Court of Appeal on Monday – if the Court of Appeal upholds this determination, commit to accepting the law and walk away, and we’ll do the same.
“Abide by the law, and if the Court of Appeal upholds the determination, get off the road, stop breaking the law, and allow the parade to go ahead.
“If we lose, we’ll accept that.
“We have followed the legal process all along.
“So if we lose substantively and the Court of Appeal sets the Parades Commission’s decision aside, we’ll accept that because we’ve abided by the law at all times – they haven’t.”
He was accompanying Portadown District master Nigel Dawson, who said they had a “right to walk down the Garvaghy Road”.
Breandán Mac Cionnaith, of the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, told reporters the Secretary of State wants residents and the Orange Order to reach agreement but contended that “the reality is” there is “no such thing as half a march”.
He said: “There’s a march, or there’s not a march – simply that.
“We’ve made a share that our community has not given us any mandate to speak about a march.”
Mr Mac Cionnaith said it was “not possible” to get a “meeting of minds” in the talks.
Asked if the talks had run their course, he said: “For the time being, yes.”
Mr Mac Cionnaith added: “They may want to re-embark upon another process at some stage, but the current process is done.”
Asked if the road would be blocked if the appeal fails, Mr Mac Cionnaith said: “That’s not my decision.
“As we have pointed out, there’s 4,000 people in our community signed a petition.
“Those 4,000 people deserve to have their voice heard, and we’ll see what goes on that.
“If 4,000 people individually decide to come to a certain position at one time and make the same decision, that they’ll all come collectively at the one time.”
Mr Mac Cionnaith had previously said residents would back proposals which emerged from talks on Wednesday if the Orange Order also did so – but this was rejected with DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockheart telling the Press Association the deal was “not acceptable”.
Policing operation tops £3 million
Earlier on Thursday, a gathering on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Co Armagh, included former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
It also saw performances by bands including folk music group The Mary Wallopers.
Elsewhere, Sir Chris was also urged to use his powers to cancel the parade by 14 members of the US Congress.
The Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus, including Richard Neal and Brendan Boyle, said: “Without decisive action, we risk reopening one of the most painful chapters of Northern Ireland’s history and undermining nearly three decades of peace, stability and reconciliation made possible by the Good Friday Agreement.”
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Policing Board heard the PSNI operation around the parading dispute has topped £3 million.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher faced questions at the Northern Ireland Policing Board on day five of the impasse.
A major policing operation was put in place at the weekend when a court challenge to the determination by the Parades Commission to allow the Drumcree parade to proceed along the Garvaghy Road failed.
While the visible policing presence has reduced, Mr Boutcher described the situation in Portadown as “remaining challenging and complex”, but said despite very significant tensions, there has been no violence and nobody has been injured.
He said the cost of the policing operation has been £3 million, but warned of the consequences and further costs “if they get it wrong”.
He contended the consequences of police forcing an Orange Order march down the Garvaghy Road “could be catastrophic” for Northern Ireland.
“The parade could not safely be facilitated on Sunday September 27, because of an unnotified protest that blocked the route. Officers repeatedly engaged with those involved and issued warnings,” he said.
“We considered a range of options, but assessed that the use of force required to clear the road risked serious harm and an escalation into disorder. That would not have been proportionate.”
Mr Boutcher also made it clear there will be “consequences” for those who blocked the Garvaghy Road on Sunday.
He added that investigations into law-breaking are “well under way” and will be “expedited”.
The chief constable said he does not believe it is necessary to ask the Secretary of State to review the Parades Commission determination over Drumcree.
