Residents on Garvaghy Road continue to block Orange Order parade

Protestors remain stationed on Garvaghy Road as the Orange Order persist in attempts to march down the thoroughfare.

The dispute between local residents and the Orange Order shows no sign of resolution, with compromise proposals being rejected. On 4 October the Orange Order tried to proceed with a march but were halted by the police.

Thousands gathered on the road to demonstrate against the march. During The Pat Kenny Show, local resident Dessie Trainer spoke with Ciara Doherty about the community’s sentiment. Trainer, whose family endured multiple tragedies during the Troubles, recounted the killing of his mother, Dorothy, by the UVF on 1 April 1975, the death of his 17‑year‑old brother Ronnie in a house bombing the same year, and the 1978 shooting of his older brother Tommy and friend Denny Kelly.

Trainer argues the Orange Order’s insistence on marching is an attempt to override residents’ rights and beliefs. He stressed his determination to prevent a return to past violence for the sake of his five grandchildren, adding that he will appear before the Court of Appeal as a claimant in the case against the Orange Order.

Images from 27 September show more than two thousand people blocking the Garvaghy Road near Drumcree in protest of the planned parade.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Kaia D / Pexels.