March row spokesman quits Sinn Féin

A man at the centre of the Drumcree Orange Order parade dispute has resigned from Sinn Féin, it was confirmed today.

Breandan MacCionnaith had been a full-time political adviser to Upper Bann Sinn Féin Assembly member John O’Dowd for the past three years.

Mr MacCionnaith came to prominence in the late 1990s as the spokesman for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition who forced the local Portadown Orange Lodge to stop marching through the nationalist area during their annual July parade.

The halting of the parade led to years of street violence and clashes and the stand-off remains to be resolved.

Mr O’Dowd confirmed the resignation of Mr MacCionnaith as both his adviser and as a party member, but said he remained a friend and comrade.

He declined to say what was behind the surprise departure.

“If Breandan wants to give any more details that is a matter for him,” said the MLA.

Mr MacCionnaith, who is expected to remain the spokesman for the Garvaghy Road group, remained silent.

He was one of 17 full-time political advisers appointed by Sinn Féin to its Stormont Assembly team in 2004 and it is understood his contract was up for renewal.

His departure from Sinn Féin will fuel speculation he does not back the party policy of giving support to the Police Service of Northern Ireland – several other party members have already quit over the issue – or that he disagrees with party moves to resolve the Drumcree dispute.

A loyalist group in Portadown claimed concessions offered by Sinn Féin in renewed negotiations over the Drumcree parade had prompted the resignation.

The Carlton Unionist Group said Mr MacCionnaith, a local councillor in Portadown, had become “a single issue candidate on the Drumcree issue and he stands to lose greatly from any change in direction from Sinn Féin”.