'Respectful' marching season expected
Sunday, 23 March 2008At the start of the marching season in Northern Ireland, Parades Commission chairman Roger Poole has said he hopes the Easter period will be respected on all sides.
He called on all those involved in parades to use events this weekend to set a positive tone for the year ahead.
Last year saw one of the quietest starts to the marching season for many years. The Parades Commission is hoping that recent progress can be built upon this year.
Republicans throughout the country will be holding commemorations today to mark the 92nd anniversary of the Easter Rising in Dublin.
In Portadown, local orangemen will once again be prohibited from marching past a nationalist area on their way from a service at Drumcree church.
The main loyalist parades begin on Easter Monday, involving the Apprentice Boys of Derry.
Speaking following a meeting of the Parades Commission, chairman Roger Poole said he was confident there would be a respectful Easter period.
He said in those areas where local agreement did not yet exist, the celebrations would take place against a backdrop of protest. But he believed that in an increasing number of areas, there is a growing understanding and trust between the different traditions.
