2 weeks Ago By Adam Kula
The commission had given permission on Sunday just passed for the parade to take place tomorrow morning. However, a residents’ group from the republican-dominated Ardoyne district called for the commission to think twice about its decision. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Belfast News Letter, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
It has now said it is sticking to its original decision to permit the parade (with the only notable restriction being a ban on music for a segment of the route). The parade is to mark Orange Heritage Week and is scheduled to set off at 9am from Woodvale Parade in north-west Belfast heading further north to Ligoniel Orange Hall, arriving by 10am. This takes it along the Crumlin Road and past the Twaddell Roundabout.
On one side is the largely-loyalist greater Shankill, and on the other is the largely-republican Ardoyne. Advertisement Advertisement The route has been a source of great friction in the recent past, and was at the heart of the infamous Twaddell stand-off from 2013 to 2016. This parade is slated to involve 60 members of the Pride of Ardoyne Flute Band, playing only hymn music, along with 30 Orangemen from three lodges: Ligoniel True Blues 1932, Ballysillan LOL 1891, and Earl of Erne LOL 647.
In its submission to the commission, the organisers said the early start time “minimises the potential for community tensions and that this was indicative of their efforts to avoid any tensions associated with the parade”. Meanwhile a group called the Crumlin and Ardoyne Residents’ Association (CARA) said there had been “no engagement by the organisers with residents” and the parade “could result in real difficulties, including the potential for negative impact on relations and disorder”. CARA intends to stage a protest on the day.
Advertisement Advertisement After the commission agreed to allow the parade, CARA had called for a review of the decision. Now the commission has said it “carefully considered the request” but “concluded that it did not constitute any fresh information or representations sufficient to trigger a review” – so the original decision stands..
