Following a two day standoff at Drumcree an Orange Order march proceeds along the Garvaghy Road.
Members of the Orange Order marched through the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The Royal Ulster Constabulary had prevented an Orange Order march from returning to Portadown from a church service at Drumcree through a nationalist area. The Orangemen refused to move away, resulting in a two-day stand-off. After two days, a compromise was reached and the Orange Order were permitted to proceed with their parade along the Garvaghy Road but without any bands. Another condition of the agreement was that the parade on 12 July would be rerouted.
Orangemen enter the nationalist Garvaghy Road district after their two day stand-off.
Brendan McAllister of the Mediation Network read out an extract from the agreement detailing the route of the permitted parade. Residents of the Garvaghy Road agreed to let the marchers pass and watched on in total silence.
There were no bands and the Orangement stared fixedly ahead.
Community activist Breandán Mac Cionnaith said that the the parade proceeding peacefully is a demonstration of what can be achieved from the peace process.
As the procession left the Garvaghy Road, the bands began to play again and marchers were met with cheers as they returned to Portadown. Unionist leaders David Trimble and Rev Ian Paisley joined the march. David Trimble expressed his delight as that the Orangemen had travelled down their traditional route. He is reluctant to congratulate the protesters for allowing the march to pass.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 11 July 1995. The reporter is David Davin-Power.
