{"id":638951,"date":"2026-09-28T22:34:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/638951\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T22:34:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:34:19","slug":"oneill-rejects-gross-discourtesy-accusations-as-large-numbers-remain-on-garvaghy-road-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/638951\/","title":{"rendered":"O\u2019Neill rejects \u2018gross discourtesy\u2019 accusations as large numbers remain on Garvaghy Road \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Main PointsA contentious Orange Order<\/a> parade was blocked from proceeding along Garvaghy Road on Sunday. Hundreds of residents and supporters remained on Garvaghy Road tonight though the atmosphere is calm. Stormont speaker Edwin Poots said Michelle O\u2019Neill\u2019s failure to attend the Assembly today was \u2018unprecedented\u2019.O\u2019Neill was not in the chamber to answer questions about the Drumcree stand-off.She had encouraged protesters yesterday to \u201cstay the course\u201d and remain on the road until at least midnight.Under parading legislation, protests against parades must be notified and approved by the Parades Commission adjudication body.The blockade on the Garvaghy Road was an unnotified gathering and police repeatedly told protesters they were liable for arrest for blocking the road.The presence of O\u2019Neill and other senior Sinn F\u00e9in figures at the blockade has prompted accusations of law breaking from unionists.Key Reads<\/p>\n

Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a wrap on today\u2019s live blog. We\u2019ll be back tomorrow morning with more coverage on the Drumcree standoff. You can read a summary of today\u2019s events here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Mary Lou McDonald says Garvaghy Road community \u201cnow needs to know that they can breathe easy again\u201d<\/p>\n

In a post on X, Sinn F\u00e9in president Mary Lou McDonald said the British Secretary of State, Chris Bryant, has been told he \u201cmust act to stop any unwanted sectarian march being forced through the Garvaghy Road\u201d. <\/p>\n

McDonald told media earlier on Monday that the \u201csense of uncertainty now needs to be removed\u201d and that the community \u201cneeds to know that they can breathe easy again\u201d. <\/p>\n

We have told the British Secretary of State plainly that he must act to stop any unwanted sectarian march being forced through the Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

This community has lived in peace for 28 years. That peace is not up for negotiation. <\/p>\n

We stand with the people of Garvaghy Road. We\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/NmzsjrZIcU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) September 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Chris Bryant provides update on \u201cpositive conversations about Drumcree\u201d<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Bryant has posted the following statement after a day of talks.<\/p>\n

I am grateful to all for the positive conversations about Drumcree today. Constructive dialogue is the route to a solution. I continue to hope and work for progress in further talks tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) September 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Large numbers remain on Garvaghy Road<\/p>\n

Mark Hennessy reports that there is still a large presence of supporters in Portadown this evening.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of residents and supporters from elsewhere remained on Garvaghy Road late tonight, though the atmosphere was calm, with most people taking advantage of the free tea and sandwiches on offer at a number of tents erected during the day.<\/p>\n

Earlier, a crowded meeting of residents in the pastoral centre of St John The Baptist\u2019s church heard an update from representatives of the residents\u2019 association, led by Breand\u00e1n Mac Cionnaith.<\/p>\n

Members of the media were excluded from the meeting, though it is understood that the residents were given a report on the meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Chris Bryant, at Hillsborough earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

However, bar one rash of rumour at 7pm there is little expectation of anything happening.<\/p>\n

A crowd of 200 or fewer Loyalists have gathered at Water Street, which lies between Garvaghy Road and Portadown\u2019s main street. Though they were on the road, traffic could get through.<\/p>\n

Throughout the day, policing was noticeably more low-key, with officers using far more ordinary patrol cars than Land Rovers as had been the case on Sunday, or earlier in the controversy.<\/p>\n

Cian O’Connell – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neill rejects accusations of \u201cgross discourtesy\u201d<\/p>\n

First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O\u2019Neill has rejected accusations of \u201cgross discourtesy\u201d by Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t agree with the speaker,\u201d O\u2019Neill said. \u201cI\u2019m very confident in my role in supporting a community that\u2019s under siege. I\u2019m very confident and proud to stand with the community in Garvaghy, and I will continue to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Poots described O\u2019Neill\u2019s failure to attend the Assembly at Stormont on Monday as \u201cunprecedented\u201d and said she \u201cneeds to come and answer to the community of Northern Ireland\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may not like the call that the speaker\u2019s office made, but it is gross discourtesy to everyone in the House that you choose not to do it,\u201d he added. O\u2019Neill had been at Drumcree alongside protesters over the weekend.<\/p>\n

She said that she can see \u201cpolitical mixing in the assembly chamber\u201d and \u201cpolitical opponents trying to use this as an opportunity\u201d. O\u2019Neill said that she did not attend the Garvaghy Road in her capacity as First Minister, but as a representative of those demonstrating and as vice president of Sinn F\u00e9in. <\/p>\n

\"FirstFirst Minister Michelle O’Neill speaking with media outside Hillsborough Castle on Monday following a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to discuss the Drumcree parading dispute. Photograph: Liam McBurney\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re exploring every option,\u2019 says Northern Ireland Secretary<\/p>\n

The Northern Ireland Secretary has said he is \u201cvery keen to get to some kind of solution\u201d to the Drumcree dispute.<\/p>\n

Chris Bryant said he has been speaking to as many people \u201cas possible\u201d and is \u201cexploring every option to see whether there\u2019s a solution\u201d.<\/p>\n

Asked for an update on his talks, which he said he was prepared to continue on Tuesday on return from the Labour conference in Liverpool, Bryant told reporters at Hillsborough: \u201cIt\u2019s been positive so far today and sometimes people showing a bit of ankle, and I think an awful lot of people of good faith wanting to get to a good outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not quite clear what that will look like yet, but kind of \u2013 a bit through the mist \u2013 I can see maybe what that might look like if I can persuade everybody to sign up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if the determination around the parade was still live, he said he could not answer the question as he was not a lawyer.<\/p>\n

There had been no requests from the PSNI to call off the parade under section nine of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe in the rule of law and I believe that the rule of law should be upheld.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to find a solution that really works for everybody so that everybody can hold their head up high \u2013 and it\u2019s tantalisingly just a bit far away at the moment, but we\u2019re working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ResidentsResidents of the Garvaghy Road, a Catholic enclave in the largely Protestant town protest against the Orange Order’s annual Drumcree parade, in Portadown. \"MembersMembers of the Orange Order march from Drumcree Church, amid protests of residents of the Garvaghy Road, a Catholic enclave in the largely Protestant town, against the Orange Order’s annual Drumcree parade, in Portadown. <\/p>\n

\u201cAn awful lot of people of good faith wanting to get to a good outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Secretary of State @rhonddaBryant<\/a> reflects on discussions with politicians and community leaders to find a\u00a0peaceful resolution to the situation at Drumcree. pic.twitter.com\/3yqdBjhvSl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) September 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 6 hours ago<\/p>\n

Taoiseach pays tribute to PSNI\u2019s actions in Drumcree stand-off<\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin says the Government remains \u201cvery, very concerned\u201d about tensions in Drumcree, reports Barry Roche. <\/p>\n

Martin said there is an \u201cobligation on everybody now to stand back and to mediate an outcome\u201d in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach said that events over the last few days have threatened to undermine community relationships.<\/p>\n

Loyal order members remained at Drumcree in Portadown on Monday after a weekend of tension in the Co Armagh town. Their planned parade was stopped by police as officers were concerned about the scale of a mass protest on part of the proposed route \u2013 the predominantly nationalist Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

Orangemen attempted to start their parade on several occasions, including in the early hours of Monday morning, but police halted them on each occasion.<\/p>\n

The parading dispute has erupted again after the Parades Commission adjudication panel granted permission for a limited parade down the Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost 30 years.<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters in Cork, Martin said: \u201cI pay tribute to the PSNI, who have been left in a very, very difficult \u2013 if not somewhat impossible \u2013 position, and I appreciate the leadership of Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, who said his over-riding concern was that no one would be harmed in the context of what was transpiring over the last 48 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said no one wants to go back to the divisions of the past and the \u201ctrauma\u201d experienced at the Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

Asked about Sinn F\u00e9in calls for Secretary of State Chris Bryant to overturn the Parades Commission decision to allow an Orange Order march in the area, Martin said: \u201cI would say to Sinn F\u00e9in and to everybody else: Time to dial back now and time to engage in dialogue, and to work this out in a sensible, community-based way.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last number of decades, community relations in this area has improved immensely and very significant work has been put in by residents\u2019 groups, by community groups, to develop community relationships, put them on a much more sustainable level.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening over the last number of days threatens to undermine all of that and I think we have to stand back, have a clear vision as to the future \u2013 the future has to be one of engagement, of dialogue, working through these problems as we did in the past, and to avoid the tensions and the trauma and the divisions of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin also said it would be a \u201cvery retrograde step\u201d for the Drumcree dispute to lead to the collapse of Stormont, adding it would not be in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 6 hours ago<\/p>\n

Michelle O\u2019Neill accused of \u2018extreme discourtesy\u2019<\/p>\n

Stormont speaker Edwin Potts has accused Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill of \u201cextreme discourtesy\u201d. <\/p>\n

O\u2019Neill was not in the Stormont chamber on Monday to answer questions about the Drumcree stand-off. <\/p>\n

She had been at Drumcree over the weekend. <\/p>\n

Poots said O\u2019Neill \u201cneeds to come and answer to the community of Northern Ireland\u201d after she did not show up to the Assembly to answer an urgent oral question on the dispute. <\/p>\n

Addressing the Assembly, Poots said: \u201cIt is unprecedented \u2013 unprecedented \u2013 for a Minister not to come to this House whenever the speaker\u2019s office has made that call.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may not like the call that the speaker\u2019s office made, but it is gross discourtesy to everyone in the House that you choose not to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neill has insisted she was in Drumcree in her status as Sinn F\u00e9in deputy leader and not as First Minister. <\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 7 hours ago<\/p>\n

DUP leaders warns it can no longer be \u2018business as usual\u2019 at Stormont <\/p>\n

The DUP has insisted it cannot be business as usual at Stormont as the party vowed to take action against Sinn F\u00e9in after senior members, including the First Minister, participated in an unlawful protest against a loyal order parade.<\/p>\n

DUP leader Gavin Robinson had been facing calls from unionist rivals to collapse the powersharing institutions over the furore around the Drumcree parade in Portadown but he opted for a different approach on Monday, making clear he did not intend to be \u201creckless\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, Robinson said his party would pursue a \u201cpathway\u201d and initiate a \u201crange of actions\u201d. <\/p>\n

He said that would include complaints to the Assembly\u2019s Commissioner for Standards, calls for censure and motions of no confidence.<\/p>\n

He said there was also a \u201cclear requirement\u201d for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to \u201cprosecute anyone who has broken the law\u201d. – Press Association<\/p>\n

Police block latest attempt by the Orange Order to complete a contentious parade along the Garvaghy Road. Members were prevented from leaving Drumcree. pic.twitter.com\/prtmAomJsW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UTV Live News (@UTVNews) September 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 7 hours ago<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in and DUP exchange bitter words in Stormont over Drumcree stand-off<\/p>\n

Assembly Members clashed in Stormont over the Drumcree Parade, as unionist MLAs accused Sinn F\u00e9in and the SDLP of breaking the law by standing in protest on Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

Speaker Edwin Poots began proceedings by calling for members not to engage in a way that \u201cinflames tensions\u201d, but on several occasions he had to call the Assembly to order.<\/p>\n

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly accused First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill of breaking the law and encouraging others to do so.<\/p>\n

Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the DUP MLA said there was a \u201ctotal abdication of leadership\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cMichelle O\u2019Neill decided to follow the law of the mob and not the law of the land, and that matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cDecided, with so many others on the benches across from me, to stand shoulder to shoulder with IRA members, with IRA and dissidents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in MLA John O\u2019Dowd said the parade was steeped in a history of \u201cmurder, violence, intimidation and supremacy\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe stood on the Garvaghy Road over the weekend to ensure that they will never, ever be returned to second-class citizenship in this society, and that no one will be beating the people off the streets ever again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people of the Garvaghy Road, the people of Portadown, are being used by those people who want to draw this society backwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said there seemed to be \u201cone standard for unionists and a different for republicans.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe public are right to be angry. There must be consequences for lawmakers who become law- breakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing Sinn F\u00e9in and SDLP representatives linked arms illegally across a road with known violent dissident republican terrorists must have consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garvaghy Road residents are \u201cunder siege by toxic Orange triumphalism\u201d, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said, responding to criticism from the DUP.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWhat stopped the march at the weekend wasn\u2019t a determination or a judge.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was over thousands of ordinary people linking arms in the rain for hours on end, and there\u2019s an important lesson in that that some should do well to learn.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The DUP is] a party up to its eyeballs in scandals that reaches for sectarianism every single time to distract and divide and look the other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former first minister, DUP MLA Paul Givan, said Orange Order members have been vilified.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThirty-five Orangemen silently parading at 8am on a Sunday morning on their way home from church.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what is their crime? Purely for being Protestant. That is the sectarian motivation of those who are in opposition to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are engaged in a direct attempt to incite violence, to instil hatred. Do not respond to their dog-whistle tactics. \u201d<\/p>\n

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said: \u201cSinn F\u00e9in are gaslighting nationalism to hide their own failures, their failures of being on the wrong side of history when it comes to immigration which is putting people within Northern Ireland at risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Casement Park, no A5, no Irish language signage at Grand Central, all those things that they were beating their chests and saying they would deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking afterwards at Members\u2019 Statements, First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill said she was proud to protest with the residents of Garvaghy Road who \u201chave suffered generations of sectarian domination, intimidation and violence\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Sinn F\u00e9in deputy leader said: \u201cMay I invite all those within Unionism into 2026? The days of Unionist supremacy and domination are gone. We will not be going backwards. We are about the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think those people that wanted to force this march down that road need to give their heads a shake.\u201d \u2013 Press Association<\/p>\n

\u2018We will not be going backwards\u2019, O\u2019Neill tells Assembly<\/p>\n

First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill said she was proud to protest with the residents of Garvaghy Road who \u201chave suffered generations of sectarian domination, intimidation and violence\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Sinn F\u00e9in deputy leader said: \u201cMay I invite all those within unionism into 2026? The days of unionist supremacy and domination are gone. We will not be going backwards. We are about the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think those people that wanted to force this march down that road need to give their heads a shake.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do the Orange Order, why do the DUP, why does unionism in general want to railroad over the rights of these people? Why do you want to trample over these people?<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we will not accept that. The Garvaghy Road residents do not want that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are entitled to live their life free from fear and intimidation. I will assert that right for them all day long and every day. This is 2026, folks, and we are not going back.\u201d – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 10 hours ago<\/p>\n

Breand\u00e1n Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents\u2019 Coalition has accused the Orange Order of \u201cpulling a stunt\u201d by attempting to complete its Dumcree parade overnight.<\/p>\n

Arriving at Hillsborough Castle for a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant, Mac Cionnaith said: \u201cPulling stunts like they did this morning in Portadown isn\u2019t going to help this process or any process.<\/p>\n

\"BreandánBreand\u00e1n Mac Cionnaith speaks at the front line of the protest on Sunday. Photograph: Charles McQuillan\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

\u201cMediation is not a problem for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cThe Orange Order did attempt to have a parade down from Drumcree Church down Drumcree Road, and get to the Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can that be except a stunt deliberately designed to raise tensions before this meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody started walking round your house at four o\u2019clock in the morning, your driveway, would you not be concerned?\u201d – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 10 hours ago<\/p>\n

Little-Pengelly accuses O\u2019Neill of \u2018total abdication of leadership\u2019<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland\u2019s Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, has accused First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill of breaking the law over the weekend, claiming there was a \u201ctotal abdication of leadership\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the situation called for calm heads, Michelle O\u2019Neill called people onto the streets, joined them and called for them to stay there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen her obligations were to uphold the law, Michelle O\u2019Neill not only broke the law but encouraged others to do so,\u201d the DUP MLA said, speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe courts upheld the basic civil rights and human rights of the Portadown Orangemen. That\u2019s what the courts did. It was scrutinised and they upheld that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was denied by Michelle O\u2019Neill and Sinn F\u00e9in and other people who decided to defy the law.\u201d – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 10 hours ago<\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has praised the PSNI\u2019s handling of the standoff at Drumree between the Orange Order and residents of the Garvaghy Road, Southern Correspondent Barry Roche reports.<\/p>\n

Speaking in Cork on Monday, Martin rejected suggestions the PSNI were out of touch with local sentiment when advising the Parades Commission on the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to pay tribute to the PSNI who have been left in a very difficult and somewhat impossible position. <\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate the leadership of chief constable Jon Boutcher who said his overriding concern is that no one would be harmed in the context of what was transpiring over the past 48 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack White – 10 hours ago<\/p>\n

Orange Order hails \u2018very constructive\u2019 meeting with NI Secretary<\/p>\n

A delegation from the Orange Order has met Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant to discuss the Drumcree parading dispute.<\/p>\n

Speaking after the meeting, which lasted an hour, district master Nigel Dawson said it was a \u201cvery constructive and detailed meeting\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe expect to probably hear from him again later on in the day, or from his officials.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are now returning back to Drumcree, where we left this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if the determination for the Drumcree parade was still live, Dawson said he spoke to PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher earlier on Monday morning, adding: \u201cThe determination is still a live document.\u201d – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 10 hours ago<\/p>\n

Assembly members told not to \u2018inflame tensions which are already high\u2019<\/p>\n

At Parliament Buildings at Stormont, the ongoing stand-off at Drumcree and the events of the weekend on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown are under discussion in the Assembly chamber, writes our Northern Editor, Freya McClements.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State, Chris Bryant, is holding meetings at Hillsborough Castle, and is understood to have met the Orange Order in the last hour, and is about to meet with Breand\u00e1n Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Association.<\/p>\n

Opening proceedings at the Assembly on Monday afternoon, the Speaker, Edwin Poots, reminded members they should \u201cnot \u2026 seek to deliberately inflame tensions which are already high.\u201d<\/p>\n

Describing it as a \u201cpretty difficult weekend\u201d, he said \u201cwe all need to recognise that in this house.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my view that it is much better than these matters are dealt with here in this democratic institution than they are dealt with on the streets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said it \u201csimply cannot be business as usual in this place\u201d and accused the First Minister, Michelle O\u2019Neill, of \u201cconducting the orchestra on the Garvaghy Road, taking part in and encouraging participation in what was an unlawful protest, [which] represents a flagrant breach of the law and her obligations under the pledge of office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Describing the First Minister as \u201cactively engaged in criminality,\u201d he said there \u201cmust be consequences for lawmakers who become law breakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing Sinn F\u00e9in and SDLP representatives linked arms illegally across a road with known violent dissident republicans must have consequences,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in MLA John O\u2019Dowd, who was among those present at the protest on the Garvaghy Road at the weekend, said the parade was \u201csteeped in a history of murder, violence, intimidation and supremacy\u201d and his party members would continue to stand with the residents.<\/p>\n

They had done so at the weekend, he said, \u201cto ensure they will never, ever be returned to second-class citizenship in this society, and that no one, no one on behalf of anyone, will be beating the people off the streets every again.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what is this all about? The people of the Garvaghy Road, the people of Portadown, are being used by those people who want to draw this society backwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are being used by elements which are not acting in their interest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 10 hours ago<\/p>\n

SDLP leader says she \u2018acted within the law\u2019 at protest\"SDLPSDLP leader Claire Hanna MP with several party MLAs in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, on Monday. Photograph: Liam McBurney\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

SDLP leader Claire Hanna has defended her presence at the protest on the Garvaghy Road over the weekend, saying she was \u201cvery comfortable that I acted within the law\u201d.<\/p>\n

Both the DUP and TUV have accused elected officials of \u201cbreaking the law\u201d by attending the protest.<\/p>\n

Hanna, an MP for South Belfast said her party has held the line on civil rights, social democracy, anti-sectarianism and cohesion in society for decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SDLP has taken all opportunities to try and build cohesion in society.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t look away from difficult issues, we don\u2019t look away from residents like that on the Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are committed to keeping stability and the show on the road here.\u201d – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 11 hours ago<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach added it was \u201cvery important\u201d that all parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly do not allow the Drumcree dispute to \u201cundermine institutions\u201d.<\/p>\n

Asked if he was concerned about the future of Stormont, Martin said it would be a \u201cvery retrograde step if anything was done to undermine the institutions, notwithstanding the legitimate concerns that people have, and notwithstanding all of the tensions\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have to think ahead and have a look around corners here, and make sure that any actions they take are in the best interests of all of the people on the island of Ireland and in Northern Ireland specifically, in terms of the Executive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Asked if he accepted that relations between Sinn F\u00e9in and the DUP were at an all-time low in the last five years, Martin said tensions were \u201cvery clear\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand where people are coming from, but ultimately, the whole essence of the peace process, all along, has been that you put to one side as best you can your own sort of particular position with a view to the common good.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I would appeal to everybody involved to think of the common good, what\u2019s in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland, and I don\u2019t believe the collapse of the institutions is in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack White – 11 hours ago<\/p>\n

Taoiseach tells Sinn F\u00e9in and others to \u2018dial it back\u2019\"TaoiseachTaoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin pictured earlier this month. Photograph: Oli Scarff\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has told Sinn F\u00e9in and \u201ceverybody else\u201d to \u201cdial it back now\u201d, saying dialogue was needed to resolve the Drumcree dispute in a \u201csensible and community-based way\u201d, Southern Correspondent Barry Roche reports.<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters in Cork on Monday morning, Martin said he remained \u201cvery concerned\u201d about the Drumcree dispute, saying there was an obligation on all to \u201cstand back\u201d and mediate an outcome that is in the best interests of \u201ceverybody\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one wants to go back to the past divisions and trauma that we experienced at the Garvaghy Road and Drumcree,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Martin was asked if the presence of senior Sinn F\u00e9in officials, including First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill, on the demonstration line with Garvaghy Road residents would undermine the power-sharing agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say to Sinn F\u00e9in and everybody else – dial it back now. It is time to engage in dialogue and work this out in a sensible and community-based way,\u201d he said, adding that community relations in the area had \u201cimproved immensely\u201d over recent decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery significant work has been put in by residents groups, by community groups to develop community relationships and put them on a much more sustainable level.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is happening over the past number of days threatens to undermine all of that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 11 hours ago<\/p>\n

Drumcree dispute \u2018deliberately orchestrated\u2019, says Alliance leader\"AllianceAlliance leader Naomi Long pictured at Stormont earlier this month. Photograph: Liam McBurney\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

The Drumcree parade dispute was \u201cdeliberately orchestrated\u201d to bring down political institutions in Northern Ireland, Alliance leader Naomi Long has claimed.<\/p>\n

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Monday morning, Long, who is also Northern Ireland\u2019s Justice Minister, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my view, rightly or wrongly, that there are those who deliberately orchestrated this conflict in order to ensure that Stormont would be in trouble, who have been opposed to devolution from the outset and who have manipulated this situation to that end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long believed there was \u201clittle commitment now from other parties to continue in Stormont in any meaningful way, that yes it is in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that that\u2019s new, Stormont is almost permanently in a state of almost collapse. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have concerns as Justice Minister that there is a culture of lawlessness across our society, where if you don\u2019t get the outcome you want, you simply kick back against the law, draw the police into conflict and blame them instead of taking responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack White – 11 hours ago<\/p>\n

Drumcree: Where are we now and what happens next?<\/p>\n

Portadown may not be as bitter a place as it was in the 1990s, but it remains one of the most divided communities in Northern Ireland, writes Ireland and Britain Editor Mark Hennessy. <\/p>\n

The peace process may have brought relative peace to Northern Ireland, but it has brought little harmony to Portadown.<\/p>\n

Read his analysis here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 12 hours ago<\/p>\n

Gaston said Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s response to the parade was \u201cnothing short of a disgrace\u201d and \u201cvery much puts these institutions beyond repair\u201d.<\/p>\n

He also said Portadown Orangemen have been \u201cdignified, respectful\u201d and claimed that they have \u201ctaken into account those residents on the Garvaghy Road\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sinn F\u00e9in hysteria that has followed shows that that they are still unfit for office,\u201d Gaston added.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, TUV Councillor Ron McDowell said he plans to report a number of Sinn F\u00e9in MLAs to the Assembly Commissioner for Standards over their participation at the protest on the Garvaghy Road over the weekend.<\/p>\n

McDowell said he will submit a report and seek an investigation into First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill, as well as John O\u2019Dowd, Deirdre Hargey and Car\u00e1l N\u00ed Chuil\u00edn.<\/p>\n

He said he wants to see an investigation carried out into their presence and participation in the protest and whether the Sinn F\u00e9in MLAs were encouraging the protest. – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 12 hours ago<\/p>\n

\u2018No parade, no Stormont\u2019, says TUV politician\"TUVTUV MLA Timothy Gaston speaking to the media at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, on Monday. Photograph: Liam McBurney\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

The Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister is facing calls to bring down the Stormont institutions by resigning from her post following the ongoing dispute at Drumcree.<\/p>\n

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Timothy Gaston said the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) should withdraw Emma Little-Pengelly from her role over Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s presence on Garvaghy Road over the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe court has ruled, a number of times, that this parade should take place and there is an onus on the chief constable, the secretary of state and the justice minister to ensure law and order applies,\u201d Gaston said, speaking to media at Stormont on Monday morning. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo parade, no Stormont,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe First Minister can only hold the position if there is a deputy First Minister. The line has been crossed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe actions of Michelle O\u2019Neill being present on the road and encouraging others to stay and stand on the road is enough to breach her pledge of office.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trap door should be open, First Minister should be out of post, no ifs, no buts. The DUP cannot sustain these institutions that allows a First Minister to brazenly ignore the law to continue to hold office in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has shown she is not First Minister for all. She is more interested in First Minister for the Garvaghy Road residents. The line is crossed. I believe at this stage the Executive is unsustainable,\u201d he said. – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 12 hours ago<\/p>\n

\u2018He has to resign now\u2019: Orange Order representative calls for PSNI chief constable to step down\"PSNIPSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher pitcured previously. Photograph: Charles McQuillan\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

A senior Orange Order member has called for PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher to resign over his handling of the Drumcree parade dispute.<\/p>\n

Portadown deputy district master Alastair Power said that Boutcher must \u201cresign now\u201d, as he vowed to remain until the parade \u201cis finished\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking at Drumcree Church on Monday, Power said: <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been told by the chief constable that they do not have the resources to police the parade down the road and we are pressing them that this needs to be done. We have a live determination and this parades needs to be completed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are here until that parade is finished, regardless of what that looks at the hill. We have told the chief constable that there is a live determination and that needs to be policed. We are pressing for that to be done today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PortadownPortadown deputy district master Alastair Power near the Drumcree Church in Portadown, on Monday. Photograph: Jonathan McCambridge\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

Power said that if the PSNI cannot police the parade, then the police chief \u201chas to go\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has to resign. He has said he can police any determination in Northern Ireland but he can\u2019t,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis hands have been tied by the state and he won\u2019t allow this parade to go under public order so he has to go. He has to resign now.\u201d – PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 13 hours ago<\/p>\n

A small number of protesters, some with their faces covered, are beginning to gather on Garvaghy Road, PA reports.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 13 hours ago<\/p>\n

Five Orange Order members walked to the police line close to Drumcree Church shortly after 9.30am on Monday but were told by an officer they were not permitted to proceed.<\/p>\n

After a member of the public walked along the road, the five members removed their collarettes and walked again to the police line.<\/p>\n

After again being stopped, Portadown deputy district master Alastair Power asked the officer to confirm that a member of the public was allowed to walk down the road but his colleagues were not.<\/p>\n

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is maintaining a presence near Drumcree Parish Church where a number of loyal order members stayed overnight in the expectation of completing their march through the Co Armagh town. \u2013 PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 14 hours ago<\/p>\n

Reacting to Buckley\u2019s comments, Sinn F\u00e9in TD Matt Carthy said members of several parties \u2013 including the SDLP, People Before Profit, Aont\u00fa and the Social Democrats \u2013 went to Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

He said they \u201cstood up for a community\u2019s right, given under the Good Friday agreement, to live free from sectarian harassment\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision of the Parades Commission is just illogical and any rational person would have known that it would have opened up old wounds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Carthy said he agreed \u201centirely\u201d with Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin that its decision was \u201cincomprehensible and wrong\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"GarvaghyGarvaghy Road residents block the road on Sunday during a protest. Photograph: Peter Morrison\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

He disagreed that the Orange Order abided by the Parades Commission ruling over the past 28 years, saying:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the Parades Commission initially indicated that the march wouldn\u2019t be permitted down the Garvaghy Road, they instigated widespread rioting and protests and a campaign of intimidation across six counties,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Carthy argued it took the \u201cmurder of three young boys\u201d to \u201cactually result in the protests being called off\u201d, referencing the 1998 murders of three Catholic children \u2013 Richard, Mark and Jason Quinn.<\/p>\n

The three boys were murdered in a petrol bomb attack on their home in a predominantly Protestant housing estate in Ballymoney.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 14 hours ago<\/p>\n

Carthy calls on NI Secretary to overturn Parades Commission ruling<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in TD Matt Carthy has called on Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant to \u201cuse his legal authority to intervene\u201d and make it \u201cabsolutely clear there will be no return to the days of Orange supremacy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Monday morning, Carthy confirmed he wanted Bryant to overturn the Parades Commission\u2019s ruling to allow the march on Garvaghy Road.<\/p>\n

Should that not happen, Carthy said he believed another application would be submitted to the Parades Commission, which would have \u201cno option\u201d but to refuse permission.<\/p>\n

Carthy said Garvaghy Road residents have \u201cbeen through too much\u201d and will not \u201cpermit a return of those dark days\u201d, adding they would continue to protest should the march be permitted. <\/p>\n

Jack White – 14 hours ago<\/p>\n

Stormont placed in \u2018very difficult place\u2019, DUP politician says<\/p>\n

Powersharing institutions at Stormont have been placed in a \u201cvery difficult place\u201d, DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley has said.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Monday morning, Buckley claimed Sinn F\u00e9in has \u201cno regard for the rule of law\u201d, and that representatives including First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill \u201ctook part in an illegal protest\u201d.<\/p>\n

Asked if the DUP is considering withdrawing from Stormont, Buckley, who is from Portadown, said Sinn F\u00e9in has \u201cplaced the institutions in a very difficult place\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have at the core of our institutions a commitment to the rule of law. Sinn F\u00e9in have now broken that pledge. That is of extreme interest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Buckley said the parade was a \u201cthreat to absolutely nobody\u201d, adding it was \u201cnever about a domination, it was about accommodation\u201d.<\/p>\n

He claimed the protest held on Garvaghy Road was a \u201cmob rule\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"PortadownPortadown Orangemen march back towards Drumcree Church after being stopped by police on their plan to continue to Garvaghy Road on Sunday. Photograph: Paul Faith \/ AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n

\u201c35 Orangemen marching in silence, no bands, no triumphalism, no victory, is about accommodating people that live in our community, and I think that that was core,\u201d he said, speaking on RT\u00c9\u2019s Morning Ireland.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of them want to see a disturbance, none of them want to see violence on our streets and none of them want to have bad relations with their neighbours but they want to be accommodated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 15 hours ago<\/p>\n

Police maintain presence in Portadown<\/p>\n

Police are maintaining a presence near Drumcree Parish Church in Portadown this morning.<\/p>\n

Five PSNI Land Rovers are lining the road close to where a small group of Orange Order members have stayed overnight.<\/p>\n

A contentious Orange Order parade was unable to proceed on Sunday after protesters had gathered on the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road about a mile away.<\/p>\n

There were no protesters on the Garvaghy Road early on Monday. \u2013 PA<\/p>\n

Jack White – 15 hours ago<\/p>\n

Stormont \u2018has to survive\u2019, SDLP leader says\"SDLPSDLP leader Claire Hanna: ‘Too often, we have reached for these collapse mechanisms only to have to come back six months later.’ Photograph: Mark Marlow\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

Stormont \u201chas to survive\u201d the fallout of the Drumcree parade, SDLP leader Claire Hanna has said.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Monday morning ahead of another meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant, Hanna said the collapse of Stormont \u201cdoes nothing\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe institutions should survive because collapsing them solves nothing, and no matter how much we\u2019re grinding each other\u2019s gears at the moment, somebody has to make decisions about the everyday.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo often, we have reached for these collapse mechanisms only to have to come back six months later, and health services and economic opportunities and infrastructure have declined. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s difficult, but creating a vacuum and taking away the place where we have a chance to resolve these issues solves nothing,\u201d she said, speaking on RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Morning Ireland.<\/p>\n

Hanna, who also joined Garvaghy Road residents over the weekend, said it was a \u201cvery challenging situation\u201d, though she argued that those behind the application to march \u201cframed it as part of a culture war\u201d.<\/p>\n

During a meeting between Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant and party leaders on Sunday night, Hanna said they called for de-escalation and a political process to \u201cget the dispute off the streets\u201d.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 17 hours ago<\/p>\n

DUP \u2018unclear\u2019 on future of powersharing Executive<\/p>\n

For now, the next steps of the Orange Order are unclear, writes Mark Hennessy<\/a><\/p>\n

It has made clear that it will stay \u201can hour, a day, or 10 days\u201d to vindicate its rights.<\/p>\n

However, it cannot do this under the legislation without going back to the Parades Commission to secure fresh permission to march down the road.<\/p>\n

The Parades Commission\u2019s permission last week was based significantly on a judgment by the PSNI that a march by the Orange Order on the Garvaghy Road would not provoke major public order issues \u2013 a judgment regarded as \u201cmadness\u201d by Sinn F\u00e9in and sharply criticised by the SDLP.<\/p>\n

The escalating political row over the parade has tested Stormont\u2019s stability, less than nine months before Northern Ireland\u2019s voters go to the polls.<\/p>\n

\"LoyalistLoyalist supporters and Orangemen face the police outside Drumcree Church on Sunday, where they formed a barricade to prevent them entering Garvaghy Road. Photograph: Peter Morrison\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

In Belfast, Gavin Robinson, the DUP leader, was asked whether he was prepared to continue to work with Sinn F\u00e9in.<\/p>\n

If either the DUP or Sinn F\u00e9in withdrew from Northern Ireland\u2019s powersharing Executive, the devolved government would effectively collapse.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur party is maintaining the dignity of the Portadown Orangemen as they have shown determination and patience, so will we,\u201d said Robinson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can look at you all in the eye today and say we are being plunged into difficult territory because of the actions of people who are expected to be lawmakers in our country breaking the law.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fundamental principle of upholding the rule of law in this society are sacrosanct and cannot be tarnished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier, Sinn F\u00e9in vice-president O\u2019Neill told reporters on the Garvaghy Road that the reignition of the Drumcree dispute \u201cbrings into question how this whole peace process works\u201d.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 17 hours ago<\/p>\n

Calls for calm from Martin, Burnham<\/p>\n

British prime minister Andy Burnham has appealed for \u201ccalm on all sides\u201d over the Drumcree march dispute, saying there have been \u201cbig gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don\u2019t want to see things go backwards\u201d.<\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin also urged calm as he expressed concern about the situation.<\/p>\n

Martin has described the decision by the Parades Commission to allow a parade to go down the Garvaghy Road for the first time in nearly three decades as \u201cincomprehensible and wrong\u201d.<\/p>\n

The parade was finally given the go ahead at a court hearing that concluded at 2.15am on Sunday after opposing legal teams outlined their arguments over the parade.<\/p>\n

The hearing was one of three separate emergency legal challenges before the courts in Belfast across Saturday and into early Sunday.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 17 hours ago<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland Secretary to meet disputing sides<\/p>\n

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Bryant<\/a> is set to face fresh demands to block any possibility of the Orange Order<\/a> being allowed to march down Garvaghy Road, writes Mark Hennessy<\/p>\n

The legal permission won<\/a> by the Orange Order after lengthy court battles on Saturday to march from Drumcree Church of Ireland to its headquarters in Portadown expired at midnight.<\/p>\n

The order now requires a fresh application to the Parades Commission<\/a> to see if its march is legal under 30-year-old legislation.<\/p>\n

However, the Northern Ireland Secretary has the power to overrule everyone, including the courts, and ban the march, though it is clear that Bryant, who was appointed to the job just two months ago, does not want to follow that route.<\/p>\n

On Sunday night, Bryant urged \u201ceverybody to keep calm\u201d and to co-operate with police as he pushed for a resolution and to find \u201csome kind of compromise so that people are able to go home\u201d.<\/p>\n

He confirmed he would continue talking to all the main political parties on Monday following discussions on Sunday after cutting short his attendance at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to travel to Belfast.<\/p>\n

He has said he did not have the powers to call off the march unless police formally requested him to do so.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 17 hours ago<\/p>\n

\" Sinn F\u00e9in first minister Michelle O’Neill and party president Mary Lou McDonald at the Garvaghy Road in Portadown on Sunday. Photograph: Peter Morrison\/PA Wire Michelle O\u2019Neill claims \u2018victory\u2019<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill has said the Garvaghy Road community had won a \u201cvictory\u201d in the Drumcree march dispute.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis community do not want this, they do not want this march,\u201d she told reporters before leaving the area shortly after midnight on Monday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd tonight, I believe, is another victory for this community in standing steadfast for the right to live free from sectarian harassment and intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The presence of O\u2019Neill and other senior Sinn F\u00e9in figures at the blockade prompted accusations of lawbreaking from unionists.<\/p>\n

Under the North\u2019s parading legislation, protests against parades must be notified and approved by the Parades Commission adjudication body.<\/p>\n

The nationalist blockade on the Garvaghy Road was an unnotified gathering. O\u2019Neill and other ministers in the Stormont Executive are bound by a pledge of office that contains a commitment to uphold the law.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t have a situation where people who have the privilege of holding high office in Northern Ireland so flagrantly disregard the pledge of office and statutory underpinnings of their office,\u201d DUP leader Gavin Robinson told media in Belfast on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Jack White – 17 hours ago<\/p>\n

Protesters disperse after being told of \u2018process\u2019 to address Drumcree dispute<\/p>\n

Nationalists who blockaded a road in Portadown to stop an Orange Order parade have mostly dispersed after being told by a community leader that a fresh process to address the dispute was being initiated.<\/p>\n

The stand-off between residents of the Garvagy Road, a Catholic estate in a largely Protestant town, and Orangemen seeking to march down the road follows two days of rising tensions that raise questions over the ability of Northern Ireland<\/a>\u2019s Stormont institutions to survive.<\/p>\n

At the height of the blockade, thousands of people gathered on the Garvaghy Road throughout Sunday to prevent the Orange Order parade from nearby Drumcree Church from passing along the route.<\/p>\n

\"PolicePolice vans maintain the road block as the members of the Orange Order begin to disperse at Drumcree Church in Portadown on Sunday night. Photograph: Peter Morrison\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

The protest, which was illegal under parading legislation in Northern Ireland, involved senior Sinn F\u00e9in politicians, including Stormont\u2019s First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill and party president Mary Lou McDonald.<\/p>\n

The blockade continued through the day and late into the night.<\/p>\n

At about midnight, Breand\u00e1n Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents\u2019 Coalition, told protesters they had secured a \u201cvictory\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said he would meet Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher on Monday morning for talks on the Drumcree parade.<\/p>\n

Mac Cionnaith said he had received \u201ccommitments\u201d that the parade would not be proceeding overnight.<\/p>\n

He asked for 20 to 30 volunteers to remain on the road to ensure those commitments were not broken.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve stopped them once. The process now is to ensure we stop them permanently,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n