NI Secretary urges compromise as Drumcree parade stalemate reaches third day

Northern Ireland secretary Chris Bryant has called on all parties to “double down on compromise” as the Drumcree parading stalemate entered its third day.

The stand‑off in Portadown continues with a small group of Orange Order members remaining at Drumcree Church, awaiting permission to start their permitted parade along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road. Protesters remain on the roadside, insisting the march should not proceed.

Foreign minister Helen McEntee said she believes an international mediator is “likely” to be appointed to intervene, and she expects further community engagement on Tuesday.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill refused to answer an urgent oral question in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday; the question has been re‑scheduled for Tuesday’s plenary.

Talks are set to resume on Tuesday after a day of discussions at Hillsborough Castle on Monday and heated exchanges in the Assembly. Bryant will return to the region after leaving the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, stating he will “bring both sides together” and “bridge sectarian divides”.

Orange Order deputy district master Alastair Power said the police have not yet deemed the Garvaghy Road safe for the parade, which was approved by the Parades Commission for 35 Orangemen under restrictive conditions.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Jan van der Wolf / Pexels.