Irish Examiner View: Drumcree march controversy unearths old bitterness

The world looked on in sheer disbelief at the rekindling of the bitter acrimoniousness that fuelled the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Orangemen gather near Drumcree Church as police form a barricade to prevent them from entering the Garvaghy Road, where members of the Orange Order were due to take part in the first return parade on the road for almost 30 years. Picture: Peter Morrison/PA

Mon, 28 Sep, 2026 - 01:00

The sectarian divisions that have remained stilled for nearly 30 years erupted on Friday in all their ugly bitterness following the perplexing decision by the Northern Ireland Parades Commission to allow the Orange Order march down the Garvaghy Rd in Portadown.

As the world looked on in sheer disbelief at the rekindling of the bitter acrimoniousness that fuelled the Troubles in Northern Ireland, few observers — either local or international — thought that the ethno-nationalist conflict which roiled the province for nearly 40 years and cost the lives of more than 3,500 people would ever be seen again.