Loyalist residents of Upper Ardoyne in North Belfast will continue their protest along the route to the Holy Cross primary school tomorrow. However, a spokesperson said the protest would be peaceful and that there would be no noise while the children pass on their way to school.
Talks between the Northern Secretary and the Loyalist residents will now be held on Tuesday. The talks between Dr John Reid and the Loyalists who have been protesting at Holy Cross school were scheduled to take place tomorrow.
Several of the residents' delegation were apparently unavailable tomorrow and the meeting to discuss Dr Reid's proposals for breaking the deadlock in Ardoyne has been rescheduled.
Dr Reid has said he is hopeful of a resolution, but warned that he could only provide a context in which accommodation could be reached. The talks will address a range of issues including housing, health and education, as well as the protest itself.
As Monday morning draws near, Protestant and Catholic church leaders in the North have again called for an end to the sectarian confrontation of the past week. The Church of Ireland Primate, Dr Robin Eames, and the Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick Walsh, both said they hoped for restraint from both sides.
President McAleese has expressed her hopes for a resolution to the school dispute. An extract from a letter from Mrs McAleese to the Chairman of the board of governors, Father Aidan Troy, was read to Catholic parishioners at Holy Cross Church today.
It assured the Protestant and Catholic people of Ardoyne of her prayers as they tried to deal with what she called the awful legacy of history and faced the challenge of creating a happier future. The President was originally from Ardoyne.
Meanwhle, Dr John Reid is due to hold talks with Richard Haass, US President George W Bush's special envoy to Northern Ireland, about the latest crisis threatening the power-sharing authority at Stormont.
Mr Haass is also to meet with representatives from the main pro-Agreement parties, who are still locked in dispute over the outstanding issues of IRA weapons, police reform and demilitarisation.
