Portadown Orangemen hold talks with officials

The Orange Order in Portadown is believed to have met with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs to discuss this year’s Drumcree parade on July 4.

The talks, believed to have taken place in Belfast last week, represent the first ever meeting between the Portadown Orange Order and Irish Government representatives.

The Orangemen are believed to be insisting on the right to complete one last parade down the nationalist Garvaghy Road before they will enter talks with the local residents about any future marches.

However, Brendan MacCionnaith, a spokesman for the residents, said this falls into a pattern whereby the Orangemen make apparent conciliatory gestures to try to influence the Parades Commission in the days before it decides whether to re-route the Drumcree march.

A decision on this year’s parade is due at the weekend.