Drumcree conflict
Encyclopedia
The Drumcree conflict or Drumcree standoff is an ongoing dispute over a yearly parade
in the town of Portadown
, Northern Ireland
. The dispute is between the Orange Order and local residents. The residents are currently represented by the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC); before 1995 they were represented mainly by the Drumcree Faith & Justice Group (DFJG). The Orange Order (a Protestant
organisation with strong links to unionism
) insists that it should be allowed to march its traditional route
to-and-from Drumcree Church
(see map). It has marched this route since 1807, when the area was sparsely populated. However, today most of this route falls within the town's mainly-Catholic
and nationalist
quarter, which is densely populated. The residents have sought to re-route the parade away from this area, seeing it as "triumphalist
" and "supremacist
". The "Drumcree parade" is held on the Sunday before the Twelfth of July
.
There have been intermittent violent clashes during the yearly parade since at least 1873. The dispute was intensified by The Troubles
, which began in 1969. Before the 1990s, the most contentious part of the parade was the outward leg along Obins Street. When the parade was banned from Obins Street in 1986, the focus shifted to the parade's return leg along Garvaghy Road. In 1995, the dispute drew the attention of the international media as it led to widespread protest
s and riot
ing throughout Northern Ireland. This pattern was repeated every July for the next four years. During this time the dispute led to the deaths of at least five civilians and prompted a massive police
and army
operation. Since 1998 the parade has been banned from most of the nationalist area, and the violence has subsided. However, regular moves to get the two sides into face-to-face talks have failed.
has long been a mainly-Protestant and unionist
town. For example, at the height of the conflict in the 1990s, Protestants outnumbered Catholic
s four-to-one. The town's Catholics and nationalists
claim that they have long suffered discrimination, especially in employment. Each summer the town centre is bedecked with unionist flags
and symbols. This is to coincide with the "marching season", when numerous Protestant marches take place in the town. Throughout the 20th century, the police force (Royal Ulster Constabulary
or RUC) was also almost wholly Protestant and its members were free to join groups such as the Orange Order. According to Peter Mulholland, a Portadown-born anthropologist, this fuelled a strong feeling of isolation among the Catholics and nationalists. He argued that the Orange marches annually "re-invigorate sectarianism
" and serve to "re-assert the supremacy
" of Protestants and unionists.
in September 1795. This was a rural riot
that took place near the village of Loughgall
, a few miles from Drumcree. Portadown and the wider north Armagh
area is thus seen as the birthplace of Orangeism, with many of the Order's oldest lodges based there.
The Order also claims that its modern church parade to Drumcree is held to commemorate the 1916 Battle of the Somme during World War I
. However, the march to Drumcree Church was originally and traditionally to celebrate the 1690 Battle of the Boyne
. The Orange Order's first ever marches were to celebrate this battle and they took place on 12 July 1796 in Portadown, Lurgan
and Waringstown
. In July 1795, the year the Orange Order formed, a Reverend Devine had held a "Boyne commemoration" sermon at Drumcree Church. In his History of Ireland Vol I (published in 1809), the historian Francis Plowden described the events that followed this sermon:
The first official Orange Order parade to and from Drumcree Church took place in July 1807. Each July since then, the Orangemen have paraded from the centre of town, along Obins Street, to Drumcree Church, and returned along Garvaghy Road. In the early 19th century, the area between the town and church was mostly fields
. Protestant parades would regularly march through this area and past the Catholic Church. In 1835, Armagh magistrate William Hancock (a Protestant) wrote:
There was violence during the Drumcree parades in 1873, 1883, 1885, 1886, 1892, 1903, 1905, 1909 and 1917.
in 1921, the Northern Ireland government
's policy tended to favour Protestant and unionist parades. From 1922 to 1950, almost 100 parades and meetings were banned under the Special Powers Act
– nearly all were Irish nationalist or republican
. Although violence died down during this period, there were clashes at the 1931 and 1950 Drumcree parades. The Public Order Act 1951
exempted 'traditional' parades from having to ask police permission, but 'non-traditional' parades could be banned or re-routed without appeal. Again, the legislation tended to benefit Protestant parades.
In the 1950s and 1960s, a number of housing estates were built on the fields along Garvaghy Road. In 1969, Northern Ireland was plunged into a conflict known as the "The Troubles
". Portadown, which had been religiously mixed, underwent major population shifts. The result was that these new estates became almost wholly Catholic and nationalist, while the rest of the town became almost wholly Protestant and unionist. After the outbreak of the conflict, the Grand Orange Lodge encouraged Orangemen to join the Northern Ireland security forces—namely the Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) and the British Army
's Ulster Defence Regiment
(UDR). The response from Orangemen was strong. Irish nationalists and republicans, meanwhile, were opposed to the security forces.
In 1972, during the first years of the troubles
, residents of Portadown's mainly Catholic nationalist enclave mobilised under the banner of 'Portadown Resistance Council'. They called for the parade to be re-routed away from Obins Street (see map), which was where most of the residents lived at the time. The Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) warned that it would "take action" if the Orange Order marched along Obins Street on 12th July
. The Ulster Defence Association
(a then-legal loyalist
vigilante and paramilitary group) threatened to take counter-action if anything was done to stop the march. On Saturday 1 July, nationalists set up barricades at all roads leading into the nationalist area.
On the morning of Sunday 9 July, the army cleared the barricades and used CS gas
and rubber bullet
s on those protesting against the march. Once the area was secured, they then allowed Orangemen to parade along the road escorted by at least fifty UDA members. Photographs show the UDA members dressed in paramilitary uniforms and saluting the Orangemen as they marched along Obins Street on their way to Drumcree Church. With all opposition effectively suppressed the parade itself passed peacefully. However, three men were shot dead in Portadown later that day and overnight. A UDA member shot dead two civilians inside McCabe's Bar on High Street. One was the Catholic pub-owner (Jack McCabe) and the other a Protestant customer (William Cochrane). Both men were shot in the head from close range. The gunman was a former RUC officer. When sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders, there were shouts of "keep up the fight!" from about a dozen people in the court's public gallery. Nationalist/republican gunmen are believed to have shot dead a Protestant (Paul Beattie) in the early hours of the next morning in Churchill Park, a housing estate on Garvaghy Road. On 15 July, a Catholic civilian was kidnapped, beaten and shot dead by the UDA in a mainly-loyalist area of the town. His body was found on 4 August in a drain near Watson Street. He had been a long-time member of St Patrick's Accordion Band based on Obins Street.
Later in the month, the Provisional IRA detonated a bomb on Woodhouse Street, and loyalists detonated a bomb at a Catholic church. In the Obins Street area there was also a gun battle involving the Provisional IRA, the UDA, and the security forces. The UDA’s involvement in the 1972 parades made a lasting impression on Portadown nationalists.
) the Saint Patrick's Accordion Band (a local nationalist band) was given permission to parade a two-mile 'circuit' of the nationalist area. However, a small part of the route (about 150 yards of Park Road) was lined with Protestant and unionist owned houses. Arnold Hatch, the town's mayor and Ulster Unionist Party
councillor, demanded that the march be banned. When the RUC let it go ahead, Hatch and a small group of unionists staged a sit-down protest
on Park Road. The RUC forced the band to turn around. That evening, the band again tried to march the route. Even though the protestors had gone, the RUC again stopped the band. Following this incident, Portadown nationalists boosted their campaign to get Orange parades banned from Obins Street. Social Democratic and Labour Party
politician Bríd Rodgers
described this incident as pivotal in the escalation of the parade dispute.
Shortly before the Drumcree parade of 7 July, hundreds of nationalists staged a sit-down protest on Obins Street. However, police violently removed the protestors and allowed the parade to continue. At least one man was beaten unconscious and many were arrested. The whole length of Garvaghy Road was lined with British Army and police vehicles for the parade's return leg. On 12 July, eight Orange lodges met at Corcrain Orange Hall and tried to march through Obins Street to the town centre. When they were blocked by police, hundreds of loyalists gathered at both ends of the road and tried to push through. At least 52 police and 28 rioters were wounded, while about 50 Catholic-owned buildings were attacked. After this, the police erected a barrier at each end of Obins Street.
In July 1985, residents of the nationalist district formed a People Against Injustice Group, later renamed the Drumcree Faith & Justice Group (DFJG). It quickly became the main group representing the residents. The DFJG sought to explain to Orangemen how residents felt about the marches and to improve cross-community relations. It organized peaceful protests, issued newsletters and held discussions with the RUC. It also made unsuccessful attempts to hold discussions with the Orangemen.
, a Protestant fraternity
similar to the Orange Order, had planned to march along Garvaghy Road on 1 April (Easter Monday
). The day before, police decided to ban the march as it believed the UDA
were to take part. At 1:00am on Monday, at least 3000 men gathered in the town centre, forced their way past a small group of police, and marched along Garvaghy Road. Among them was Ian Paisley
, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
and of the fundamentalist
Free Presbyterian Church
. Residents claimed that some of the marchers were carrying guns. Some of the marchers attacked houses along the route and residents claimed that the RUC did little or nothing to stop this. There followed rioting between residents and the RUC. Some set up barricades for fear of further attacks. There was a feeling among locals that the RUC had "mutinied" and refused to enforce the ban. Sinn Féin
leader Gerry Adams
said that it was "more evidence of the untrustworthiness of the RUC". In the afternoon, another Apprentice Boys parade marched through the town centre. A group of loyalists attacked police, who were blocking access to the nationalist area. One rioter, Keith White, was shot by a plastic bullet
and died in hospital on 14 April.
On 6 July the Drumcree parade took place. An estimated 4000 British Army and RUC were deployed in the town. The RUC said that the Orange Order had allowed "known troublemakers" to take part in the march, contrary to a prior agreement. Among the marchers was George Seawright
, a unionist politician and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) member who publicly proposed burning Catholics in ovens. As the march entered the nationalist district, the RUC seized Seawright and other known militants. The Orangemen attacked the officers with stones and other missiles. Along the parade's route (Obins Street and Garvaghy Road), local residents were prevented from leaving their homes. Both nationalists and loyalists attacked police, wounding at least 27.
The 12 July parade was blocked from Obins Street for the second year. Instead, police escorted the parade along Garvaghy Road without any bands. Although there was little violence on Garvaghy Road, loyalists later rioted with police and tried to smash through the barrier leading to Obins Street.
In 1987 the Public Order Act was repealed by the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987, which removed the special status of 'traditional' parades. This meant that, after 1986, Orange parades were effectively banned from Obins Street indefinitely. The July 1987 parade was re-routed and 3000 soldiers and 1000 police were sent to keep order. In the minds of the Orangemen, sacrificing the Obins Street leg meant that they would be guaranteed the Garvaghy Road leg. Although the Garvaghy Road leg had caused trouble before, it was less populated than Obins Street in 1987.
s.
In May 1995 the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC) was formed, comprising representatives from the DFJG and the tenants' associations. Its main goal was to divert Orange marches away from Garvaghy Road through peaceful means. It held peaceful protests, petitioned the RUC and government ministers, and tried to draw media attention to the dispute. The GRRC held regular public meetings with the residents and there were usually about 12 representatives on the GRRC at any one time. According to one of its members, Joanne Tennyson, "Although the GRRC could speak to anyone they wanted, at the end of the day no-one in the committee had the right to say we would do anything, not even ... the spokesman. The community had to agree as a whole and that was the purpose of holding public meetings". The GRRC's first secretary and spokesman was Eamon Stack, a Jesuit
priest and DFJG member who had lived in the area since 1993. Fr Stack emphasized that the GRRC was non-sectarian and was not connected to any political parties. He would remain its spokesman until after July 1997.
By the mid 1990s, the population of Portadown was about 70% Protestant and 30% Catholic. There were three Orange halls in the town and an estimated 40 loyalist marches each summer.
on Garvaghy Road to block the march. Although the parade was legal and the protest was not, police prevented the parade from taking the Garvaghy Road route. The Orangemen refused to take an alternate route, announcing that they would stay at Drumcree Church until they were allowed to continue. The Orangemen refused to negotiate with the residents' group and the Mediation Network was called upon to intercede. The RUC and local politicians were also involved in trying to resolve the deadlock.
Meanwhile, ~10,000 Orangemen and their supporters were engaged in a standoff with ~1,000 police at Drumcree Church. During this standoff, missiles were continuously thrown at the police, who responded by firing 24 plastic bullet
s. In support of the Orangeman, loyalists blocked numerous roads across Northern Ireland, and sealed off the port of Larne
. On the evening of Monday 10 July, Ian Paisley
(Democratic Unionist Party
leader) and David Trimble
(Ulster Unionist Party
leader) held a rally at Drumcree Church. Afterwards they gathered a number of Orangemen and tried to push through the police barricade, but were taken away by officers.
By the morning of Tuesday 11 July, a compromise was reached. The Orangemen would be allowed to march along Garvaghy Road on condition that they did so silently, without accompanying bands. GRRC member Breandán Mac Cionnaith says that the agreement was that the parade would go silently along the road, on condition that future parades would only occur with the consent of residents. This claim is not verified by other parties. The protesters were eventually persuaded to clear the road, and the march went ahead. However, as they reached the end of Garvaghy Road, Paisley and Trimble held their hands in the air in what appeared to be a gesture of triumph. Trimble claims that he only took Paisley's hand to prevent the DUP leader from taking all the media attention.
Both sides were deeply unhappy with the events of July 1995. Residents were angered that the parade had gone ahead and at what they saw as unionist triumphalism, while Orangemen and their supporters were angered that their parade had been held up by an illegal protest. Some Orangemen formed a group called Spirit of Drumcree (SoD) to defend their "right to march". At a SoD meeting in Belfast's Ulster Hall
one of the platform speakers said, to applause, that
On Sunday 7 July the parade gathered at Drumcree Church and was blocked by police barricades. At least 4,000 Orangemen and their supporters began another standoff. That afternoon, Reverend Martin Smyth (then Orange Grand Master) arrived at Drumcree and announced that there could be "no compromise". Again, loyalists began riots and blocked hundreds of roads across Northern Ireland.
On the night of 7 July, Catholic taxi-driver Michael McGoldrick was shot dead near Lurgan
by the Mid Ulster Brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). It is believed the killing was ordered by the brigade's leader, Billy Wright
, from Portadown. Wright was frequently to be seen at Drumcree with Harold Gracey, head of the Portadown Orange Lodge. Members of the brigade smuggled homemade weaponry to Drumcree, apparently unhindered by the Orangemen. Allegedly, the brigade also had plans to drive petrol tankers
into the Garvaghy area and ignite them. The following month, Wright and the Portadown unit of the Mid-Ulster Brigade were stood down for breaking the ceasefire. Wright took the unit with him and formed a breakaway group called the Loyalist Volunteer Force
(LVF) and began a campaign of sectarian killing.
On Wednesday 10 July, the RUC reported that, over the previous four days, there had been:
At noon on Thursday 11 July, the Chief Constable reversed his decision and allowed the parade to march along Garvaghy Road. Residents of Garvaghy Road had not been consulted on this. Rioting erupted immediately as police violently removed protestors from Garvaghy Road, often after beating them. Rioting also erupted in nationalist areas of Lurgan, Armagh
, Belfast
and Derry
. In Derry, twenty-two protestors were seriously injured and one, Dermot McShane, died after being run-over by a British Army armoured vehicle
. Rioting continued throughout the week, during which time the RUC fired a total of 6002 plastic bullets, 5000 of which were directed at nationalists.
The Committee on the Administration of Justice
(CAJ), who had sent members to observe the situation, condemned this "completely indiscriminate" use of plastic bullets. Following the events, leaders of both Sinn Féin
and the SDLP
stated that nationalists had completely lost faith in the RUC as an impartial police force.
In late June 1997, Secretary of State Mo Mowlam
had privately decided to let the parade proceed. This was later revealed in a leaked Northern Ireland Office document. However, in the days leading up to the parade, she insisted that no decision had been made.
Women from the nationalist district set-up a peace camp
along the Garvaghy Road. On Thursday 3 July, the Loyalist Volunteer Force
(LVF) threatened to kill Catholic civilians if the march was not allowed to proceed. The following day, sixty families had to be evacuated from their homes on Garvaghy Road after a loyalist bomb threat. The Ulster Unionist Party
also threatened to withdraw from the Northern Ireland peace process
.
On Sunday 6 July at 3:30am, 1500 soldiers and police moved into the nationalist area and sealed-off all the roads. This led to clashes with around 300 protestors. From this point onward, all residents were prevented from leaving their housing estates and accessing the main road. As residents were also unable to reach the Catholic church, the local priests were forced to hold an open-air mass
in front of a line of soldiers and armoured personnel carrier
s.
The parade marched along Garvaghy Road at noon that day. After it passed, the security forces began withdrawing from the area. A large-scale riot developed. About 40 plastic bullet
s were fired at rioters, and about 18 people were taken to hospital. In nearby Lurgan, nationalist protestors stopped a train and set it alight, while fierce riots erupted in several nationalist areas. Several RUC and Army patrols came under fire, specially in North and West Belfast. The widespread violence lasted until 10 July, when the Orange Order decided unilaterally to re-route six parades. The following day, Orangemen and residents agreed to waive another march in Newtownbutler
, County Fermanagh
.
In 1997, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams told an RTÉ
journalist of his party's involvement in the dispute:
After July 1997, GRRC member Brendan McKenna
replaced Eamon Stack as the group's spokesman. Mac Cionnaith had been convicted and imprisoned for his involvement in a 1981 IRA bomb attack on Portadown's Royal British Legion
hall. He was released in 1984.
. The Commission was now responsible for deciding what route marches should take. On 29 June 1998, the Parades Commission decided to ban the parade from Garvaghy Road.
On Friday 3 July about 1000 soldiers and 1000 police were deployed in the area. They built large barricades across all roads leading into the nationalist area. In the fields between Drumcree Church and the Garvaghy area they also dug a trench
(fourteen feet wide), which was then lined with rows of barbed wire
. Soldiers also occupied Drumcree College
, St John the Baptist Primary School, and some houses close to the barricades.
On Sunday 5 July the Orangemen arrived at Drumcree Church and stated that they would remain there until they were allowed to proceed. A group calling itself "Portadown Action Command" issued a statement which read:
There was widespread loyalist violence across Northern Ireland. Over the next ten days, 2,561 "public order incidents" were recorded, this included:
On Sunday 12 July at 4:30am, Jason (aged 8), Mark (aged 9) and Richard Quinn (aged 10)
were burnt to death when their home was firebombed
by loyalists. The boys' mother was a Catholic, and their home was in a mainly-Protestant part of Ballymoney
. Following the murders, William Bingham (County Grand Chaplain of Armagh and member of the Orange Order negotiating team) said that "walking down the Garvaghy Road would be a hollow victory, because it would be in the shadow of three coffins of little boys who wouldn't even know what the Orange Order is about". He said that the Order had lost control of the situation and that "no road is worth a life". However he later apologised for implying that the Order was in any way responsible for the deaths.
The murders provoked widespread anger and calls for the Orange Order to end their protest at Drumcree. Although the number of Orangemen dropped greatly, the Portadown lodges voted unanimously to continue their standoff.
On Wednesday 15 July at 6:30am the RUC began a search operation in the fields at Drumcree. A number of weapons were uncovered in the search, including: a home-made machine gun
, ammunition
, explosive devices
, and crossbow
s with home-made explosive arrows.
March to June
On 14 March 1999, the Parades Commission said that the upcoming march would again be banned from Garvaghy Road. The following day the GRRC's legal advisor, Rosemary Nelson
, was assassinated in Lurgan. The killing was claimed by the "Red Hand Defenders
", who had detonated a bomb under her car.
In April 1999, Portadown loyalists threatened to mount a picket
of St John's Catholic Church at the top of Garvaghy Road. On 29 May a 'junior' Orange march passed near Garvaghy Road. There were clashes following the march with 13 RUC officers and four civilians hurt. The RUC fired 50 plastic bullets during the clashes.
July
The 1999 Drumcree march took place on Sunday 4 July. The security forces had again blocked all roads leading into the nationalist area with large steel barricades. Although some missiles were thrown at Drumcree church, the protest there was calm compared to last year.
The barricades were removed on 14 July. On 28 July, a 15-year-old Catholic boy was attacked as Orangemen removed their arch at the end of Garvaghy Road. He was allegedly beaten by loyalists within yards of two RUC landrovers.
On 31 July, a loyalist wielding an AK-47
and a handgun
walked along Craigwell Avenue (a street of Catholic-owned houses) firing shots. He was wrestled to the ground and arrested. In August, the street was evacuated after a hoax bomb alert, and the houses were attacked with breeze blocks.
Also that year, the GRRC published a book detailing the history of Orange parades in the area. The book was called Garvaghy: A Community Under Siege.
In April 2000, a newspaper reported that Portadown Orangemen had threatened PM Tony Blair
, saying that if that year's march was banned from Garvaghy Road it would prove to be his "Bloody Sunday
". The following month, almost 200 masked loyalists attacked Catholic-owned houses on Craigwell Avenue after assembling at Carlton Street Orange Hall. Allegedly RUC landrovers were nearby but did not intervene. On 27 May, the nationalist area was sealed-off so that a 'junior' Orange parade could march along the lower end of Garvaghy Road. The march included men in paramilitary uniform.
On 31 May, a children's cross-community concert at St John's Catholic Church was disrupted by Portadown Oangemen beating Lambeg drums, allegedly trying to drown it out. Present at the concert were Secretary of State Peter Mandelson
and UUP leader (and Orangeman) David Trimble. After the concert, teachers, parents, children and guests headed for a reception at the Protestant Portadown College. They were met by a 300-strong loyalist mob who hurled missiles and sectarian abuse while preventing families from leaving the hall. The security forces were deployed but did not disperse the mob or make arrests. On 7 June, St John's Catholic Church was set alight by arsonists.
On 16 June, Catholic workers at Denny's factory in Portadown walked-out after placards carrying sectarian slogans were erected near the main entrance. The week before, loyalists had thrown missiles at Catholics leaving the factory. The placards were removed shortly after. Later in the month, loyalists sent death threats to workers who were reinforcing the security barrier (or "peace line") along Corcrain Road. The work stopped, leaving the nationalist area vulnerable to attack.
July
In July, it was revealed that members of Neo-Nazi
group Combat 18
were travelling from England to join the Orangemen at Drumcree. They were given shelter by LVF members in Portadown and Tandragee. That month, Portadown Orangeman Ivan Hewitt (who sported Neo-Nazi tattoos) warned in a TV documentary that it may be time for loyalists to "bring their war to Britain".
The 2000 Drumcree march took place on Sunday 2 July. It was again banned from Garvaghy Road and the nationalist area was sealed-off with barricades. Speaking after the march was stopped, District Master Harold Gracey called for widespread protests across Northern Ireland. Stoneyford Orangeman Mark Harbinson, who was associated with the paramilitary Orange Volunteers
, had earlier proclaimed that "the war begins today". On Monday 3 July a crowd of over fifty loyalists, led by UDA commander Johnny Adair
, appeared at Drumcree with a banner bearing "Shankill Road UFF" [Ulster Freedom Fighters]. In the Corcrain area, LVF gunmen fired a volley of shots in the air for Adair and a cheering crowd. On Tuesday 4 July, security forces used water cannon
against protestors at the Drumcree barricade – their first deployment in Northern Ireland for over 30 years.
In an interview on 7 July, Harold Gracey refused to condemn the violence linked to the protests, saying "Gerry Adams doesn't condemn violence so I'll not". On 9 July, the RUC warned that loyalists had threatened to "kill a Catholic a day" until the Orangemen were allowed to march along Garvaghy Road. Two days later, a group of 150–200 loyalists ordered all shops in Portadown's town centre to shut. Along with another group, they then tried to march on Garvaghy Road from both ends, but were held back by the RUC. That night, 21 RUC officers were hurt during clashes with loyalists.
On 14 July, Portadown Orangemen's calls for another day of widespread protest went unheeded as the Armagh and Grand Lodges refused to support their calls. Businesses remained open and only a handful of roads were blocked for a short time. The security barriers were removed and soldiers returned to barracks.
In February 2001, loyalists held protests on the lower Garvaghy Road as part of the run-up to "day 1000" of the standoff. The GRRC said that up to 300 people, some masked and armed with clubs, intimidated people living on Garvaghy Road. Some protesters also attacked a car with four women inside.
There was further violence in May 2001. On 5 May, 300 Orangemen and supporters tried to march on to Garvaghy Road but were stopped by RUC. There were some scuffles between Orangemen and RUC officers. District Master Harold Gracey drew controversy when he said to the RUC officers: "We all know where you come from...you come from the Protestant community, the vast majority of you come from the Protestant community and it is high time that you supported your own Protestant people". On 12 May there were clashes between loyalists and nationalists on Woodhouse Street. On 27 May there were clashes between nationalists and the RUC after a "junior" Orange march on the lower Garvaghy Road.
Four days before the July 2001 Drumcree march, 200 supporters and members of the UDA/UFF rallied at Drumcree. The Portadown Orange Lodge claimed that it was powerless to stop such people from gathering and that they could not be held responsible for their actions. Nevertheless, David Jones (the Lodge's spokesman) said that he welcomed any support. Bríd Rogers, a local SDLP MLA, called this "a further example" of Jones's "double standards". She said that Jones's lodge would not speak to the GRRC because of Mac Cionnaith's "terrorist past", yet "he is quite happy to associate with people who have a terrorist present". The march passed off peacefully under a heavy security presence.
Since 2001 Drumcree has been relatively calm, with outside support for the Portadown lodges' campaign declining and the violence lessening greatly. Mac Cionnaith said that he believes the conflict is essentially over. The Orange Order continues to campaign for the right to march on Garvaghy Road.
Routes of the Protestant parades before they were banned from Obins Street (A) in 1986.
Red line: Route taken by Orangemen on the Sunday before 12 July; from their Carlton Street Hall (D) under the railway bridge (C) along Obins Street (A) to Drumcree Church (F) and back along Garvaghy Road (B).
Blue line: Route taken on 12 July; from Corcrain Hall (E) along Obins Street (A) and under the railway bridge (C).
Green areas are largely nationalist/Catholic.
Orange areas are largely unionist/Protestant.
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
in the town of Portadown
Portadown
Portadown is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about 23 miles south-west of Belfast...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The dispute is between the Orange Order and local residents. The residents are currently represented by the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC); before 1995 they were represented mainly by the Drumcree Faith & Justice Group (DFJG). The Orange Order (a Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
organisation with strong links to unionism
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
) insists that it should be allowed to march its traditional route
Orange walk
Orange walks are a series of parades held annually by members of the Orange Order during the summer in Northern Ireland, to a lesser extent in Scotland, and occasionally in England, the Republic of Ireland, and throughout the Commonwealth...
to-and-from Drumcree Church
Drumcree Church
Drumcree Parish Church, officially The Church of the Ascension, is the parish church of Drumcree Church of Ireland parish. The church is within the townland of Drumcree, roughly 1.5 miles to the northeast of Portadown, County Armagh....
(see map). It has marched this route since 1807, when the area was sparsely populated. However, today most of this route falls within the town's mainly-Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
and nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
quarter, which is densely populated. The residents have sought to re-route the parade away from this area, seeing it as "triumphalist
Triumphalism
Triumphalism is the attitude or belief that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, or social system is superior to and should triumph over all others...
" and "supremacist
Supremacism
Supremacism is the belief that a particular race, species, ethnic group, religion, gender, sexual orientation, belief system or culture is superior to others and entitles those who identify with it to dominate, control or rule those who do not.- Sexual :...
". The "Drumcree parade" is held on the Sunday before the Twelfth of July
The Twelfth
The Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...
.
There have been intermittent violent clashes during the yearly parade since at least 1873. The dispute was intensified by The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, which began in 1969. Before the 1990s, the most contentious part of the parade was the outward leg along Obins Street. When the parade was banned from Obins Street in 1986, the focus shifted to the parade's return leg along Garvaghy Road. In 1995, the dispute drew the attention of the international media as it led to widespread protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s and riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
ing throughout Northern Ireland. This pattern was repeated every July for the next four years. During this time the dispute led to the deaths of at least five civilians and prompted a massive police
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
and army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
operation. Since 1998 the parade has been banned from most of the nationalist area, and the violence has subsided. However, regular moves to get the two sides into face-to-face talks have failed.
Background
PortadownPortadown
Portadown is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about 23 miles south-west of Belfast...
has long been a mainly-Protestant and unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
town. For example, at the height of the conflict in the 1990s, Protestants outnumbered Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s four-to-one. The town's Catholics and nationalists
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
claim that they have long suffered discrimination, especially in employment. Each summer the town centre is bedecked with unionist flags
Northern Ireland flags issue
The Northern Ireland flags issue is one that divides the population along sectarian lines. Depending on political allegiance, people identify with differing flags and symbols, some of which have, or have had, official status in Northern Ireland....
and symbols. This is to coincide with the "marching season", when numerous Protestant marches take place in the town. Throughout the 20th century, the police force (Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
or RUC) was also almost wholly Protestant and its members were free to join groups such as the Orange Order. According to Peter Mulholland, a Portadown-born anthropologist, this fuelled a strong feeling of isolation among the Catholics and nationalists. He argued that the Orange marches annually "re-invigorate sectarianism
Sectarianism
Sectarianism, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.The ideological...
" and serve to "re-assert the supremacy
Supremacism
Supremacism is the belief that a particular race, species, ethnic group, religion, gender, sexual orientation, belief system or culture is superior to others and entitles those who identify with it to dominate, control or rule those who do not.- Sexual :...
" of Protestants and unionists.
Before partition
The Orange Order claims that it was founded after the so-called Battle of the DiamondBattle of the Diamond
The Battle of the Diamond was a violent confrontation between the Catholic Defenders and a Protestant faction including Peep o' Day Boys, Orange Boys and local tenant farmers that took place on 21 September 1795 near Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland. The Protestants were the victors, killing...
in September 1795. This was a rural riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
that took place near the village of Loughgall
Loughgall
Loughgall is a small village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 285 people.Loughgall was named after a small nearby loch. The village is at the heart of the apple-growing industry and is surrounded by orchards. Along the village's main street...
, a few miles from Drumcree. Portadown and the wider north Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
area is thus seen as the birthplace of Orangeism, with many of the Order's oldest lodges based there.
The Order also claims that its modern church parade to Drumcree is held to commemorate the 1916 Battle of the Somme during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. However, the march to Drumcree Church was originally and traditionally to celebrate the 1690 Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
. The Orange Order's first ever marches were to celebrate this battle and they took place on 12 July 1796 in Portadown, Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
and Waringstown
Waringstown
Waringstown is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, two miles south-east of Lurgan. It lies within the parish of Donaghcloney, and in the barony of Iveagh Lower, Lower Half. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 2,523 people. It was built during the Plantation of Ulster and is typical of...
. In July 1795, the year the Orange Order formed, a Reverend Devine had held a "Boyne commemoration" sermon at Drumcree Church. In his History of Ireland Vol I (published in 1809), the historian Francis Plowden described the events that followed this sermon:
[Reverend Devine] so worked up the minds of his audience, that upon retiring from service, on the different roads leading to their respective homes, they gave full scope to the anti-papisticalAnti-CatholicismAnti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...
zeal, with which he had inspired them... falling upon every Catholic they met, beating and bruising them without provocation or distinction, breaking the doors and windows of their houses, and actually murdering two unoffending Catholics in a bog. This unprovoked atrocity of the Protestants revived and redoubled religious rancour. The flame spread and threatened a contest of extermination...
The first official Orange Order parade to and from Drumcree Church took place in July 1807. Each July since then, the Orangemen have paraded from the centre of town, along Obins Street, to Drumcree Church, and returned along Garvaghy Road. In the early 19th century, the area between the town and church was mostly fields
Field (agriculture)
In agriculture, the word field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock...
. Protestant parades would regularly march through this area and past the Catholic Church. In 1835, Armagh magistrate William Hancock (a Protestant) wrote:
For some time past the peaceable inhabitants of the parish of Drumcree have been insulted and outraged by large bodies of Orangemen parading the highways, playing party tunes, firing shots and using the most opprobrious epithets they could invent. [The Orangemen have gone] a considerable distance out of their way to pass a Catholic chapel on their march to Drumcree church.
There was violence during the Drumcree parades in 1873, 1883, 1885, 1886, 1892, 1903, 1905, 1909 and 1917.
After partition
After the partition of IrelandPartition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
in 1921, the Northern Ireland government
Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Generally known as either the Cabinet or the Government, the Executive Committee existed from 1922 to 1972...
's policy tended to favour Protestant and unionist parades. From 1922 to 1950, almost 100 parades and meetings were banned under the Special Powers Act
Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922
The Civil Authorities Act 1922, often referred to simply as the Special Powers Act, was an Act passed by the Parliament of Northern Ireland shortly after the establishment of Northern Ireland, and in the context of violent conflict over the issue of the partition of Ireland...
– nearly all were Irish nationalist or republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. Although violence died down during this period, there were clashes at the 1931 and 1950 Drumcree parades. The Public Order Act 1951
Public Order Act (Northern Ireland) 1951
The Public Order Act 1951 was an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland. The Act concerned meetings and 'non traditional' parades, although a 1970 amendment considerably broadened the Act's scope to include paramilitary groups and weaponry.-Contents of the Act:The first section of the Act...
exempted 'traditional' parades from having to ask police permission, but 'non-traditional' parades could be banned or re-routed without appeal. Again, the legislation tended to benefit Protestant parades.
In the 1950s and 1960s, a number of housing estates were built on the fields along Garvaghy Road. In 1969, Northern Ireland was plunged into a conflict known as the "The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
". Portadown, which had been religiously mixed, underwent major population shifts. The result was that these new estates became almost wholly Catholic and nationalist, while the rest of the town became almost wholly Protestant and unionist. After the outbreak of the conflict, the Grand Orange Lodge encouraged Orangemen to join the Northern Ireland security forces—namely the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) and the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage...
(UDR). The response from Orangemen was strong. Irish nationalists and republicans, meanwhile, were opposed to the security forces.
1972
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, residents of Portadown's mainly Catholic nationalist enclave mobilised under the banner of 'Portadown Resistance Council'. They called for the parade to be re-routed away from Obins Street (see map), which was where most of the residents lived at the time. The Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) warned that it would "take action" if the Orange Order marched along Obins Street on 12th July
The Twelfth
The Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...
. The Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
(a then-legal loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
vigilante and paramilitary group) threatened to take counter-action if anything was done to stop the march. On Saturday 1 July, nationalists set up barricades at all roads leading into the nationalist area.
On the morning of Sunday 9 July, the army cleared the barricades and used CS gas
CS gas
2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is the defining component of a "tear gas" commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agent...
and rubber bullet
Rubber bullet
Rubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...
s on those protesting against the march. Once the area was secured, they then allowed Orangemen to parade along the road escorted by at least fifty UDA members. Photographs show the UDA members dressed in paramilitary uniforms and saluting the Orangemen as they marched along Obins Street on their way to Drumcree Church. With all opposition effectively suppressed the parade itself passed peacefully. However, three men were shot dead in Portadown later that day and overnight. A UDA member shot dead two civilians inside McCabe's Bar on High Street. One was the Catholic pub-owner (Jack McCabe) and the other a Protestant customer (William Cochrane). Both men were shot in the head from close range. The gunman was a former RUC officer. When sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders, there were shouts of "keep up the fight!" from about a dozen people in the court's public gallery. Nationalist/republican gunmen are believed to have shot dead a Protestant (Paul Beattie) in the early hours of the next morning in Churchill Park, a housing estate on Garvaghy Road. On 15 July, a Catholic civilian was kidnapped, beaten and shot dead by the UDA in a mainly-loyalist area of the town. His body was found on 4 August in a drain near Watson Street. He had been a long-time member of St Patrick's Accordion Band based on Obins Street.
Later in the month, the Provisional IRA detonated a bomb on Woodhouse Street, and loyalists detonated a bomb at a Catholic church. In the Obins Street area there was also a gun battle involving the Provisional IRA, the UDA, and the security forces. The UDA’s involvement in the 1972 parades made a lasting impression on Portadown nationalists.
1985
On 17 March (Saint Patrick's DaySaint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
) the Saint Patrick's Accordion Band (a local nationalist band) was given permission to parade a two-mile 'circuit' of the nationalist area. However, a small part of the route (about 150 yards of Park Road) was lined with Protestant and unionist owned houses. Arnold Hatch, the town's mayor and Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
councillor, demanded that the march be banned. When the RUC let it go ahead, Hatch and a small group of unionists staged a sit-down protest
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
on Park Road. The RUC forced the band to turn around. That evening, the band again tried to march the route. Even though the protestors had gone, the RUC again stopped the band. Following this incident, Portadown nationalists boosted their campaign to get Orange parades banned from Obins Street. Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
politician Bríd Rodgers
Bríd Rodgers
Bríd Rodgers , born Bríd Stratford Bríd Rodgers (Irish: Bríd Mhic Ruairí), born Bríd Stratford Bríd Rodgers (Irish: Bríd Mhic Ruairí), born Bríd Stratford (born 20 February 1935, in Gweedore [Gaoth Dobhair], County Donegal, Ireland, is a former Irish nationalist politician....
described this incident as pivotal in the escalation of the parade dispute.
Shortly before the Drumcree parade of 7 July, hundreds of nationalists staged a sit-down protest on Obins Street. However, police violently removed the protestors and allowed the parade to continue. At least one man was beaten unconscious and many were arrested. The whole length of Garvaghy Road was lined with British Army and police vehicles for the parade's return leg. On 12 July, eight Orange lodges met at Corcrain Orange Hall and tried to march through Obins Street to the town centre. When they were blocked by police, hundreds of loyalists gathered at both ends of the road and tried to push through. At least 52 police and 28 rioters were wounded, while about 50 Catholic-owned buildings were attacked. After this, the police erected a barrier at each end of Obins Street.
In July 1985, residents of the nationalist district formed a People Against Injustice Group, later renamed the Drumcree Faith & Justice Group (DFJG). It quickly became the main group representing the residents. The DFJG sought to explain to Orangemen how residents felt about the marches and to improve cross-community relations. It organized peaceful protests, issued newsletters and held discussions with the RUC. It also made unsuccessful attempts to hold discussions with the Orangemen.
1986
The Apprentice BoysApprentice Boys of Derry
The Apprentice Boys of Derry is a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership of over 80,000, founded in 1814. They are based in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland. However, there are Clubs and branches across Ireland, Great Britain and further afield...
, a Protestant fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
similar to the Orange Order, had planned to march along Garvaghy Road on 1 April (Easter Monday
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures...
). The day before, police decided to ban the march as it believed the UDA
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
were to take part. At 1:00am on Monday, at least 3000 men gathered in the town centre, forced their way past a small group of police, and marched along Garvaghy Road. Among them was Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
and of the fundamentalist
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
Free Presbyterian Church
Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
The Free Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination founded by the Rev. Ian Paisley in 1951. Most of its members live in Northern Ireland...
. Residents claimed that some of the marchers were carrying guns. Some of the marchers attacked houses along the route and residents claimed that the RUC did little or nothing to stop this. There followed rioting between residents and the RUC. Some set up barricades for fear of further attacks. There was a feeling among locals that the RUC had "mutinied" and refused to enforce the ban. Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
leader Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
said that it was "more evidence of the untrustworthiness of the RUC". In the afternoon, another Apprentice Boys parade marched through the town centre. A group of loyalists attacked police, who were blocking access to the nationalist area. One rioter, Keith White, was shot by a plastic bullet
Plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon they have still caused several deaths. They are generally used for riot control...
and died in hospital on 14 April.
On 6 July the Drumcree parade took place. An estimated 4000 British Army and RUC were deployed in the town. The RUC said that the Orange Order had allowed "known troublemakers" to take part in the march, contrary to a prior agreement. Among the marchers was George Seawright
George Seawright
George Seawright was a controversial unionist politician in Northern Ireland who was assassinated by the Irish People's Liberation Organisation during the Troubles.-Early life:...
, a unionist politician and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) member who publicly proposed burning Catholics in ovens. As the march entered the nationalist district, the RUC seized Seawright and other known militants. The Orangemen attacked the officers with stones and other missiles. Along the parade's route (Obins Street and Garvaghy Road), local residents were prevented from leaving their homes. Both nationalists and loyalists attacked police, wounding at least 27.
The 12 July parade was blocked from Obins Street for the second year. Instead, police escorted the parade along Garvaghy Road without any bands. Although there was little violence on Garvaghy Road, loyalists later rioted with police and tried to smash through the barrier leading to Obins Street.
In 1987 the Public Order Act was repealed by the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987, which removed the special status of 'traditional' parades. This meant that, after 1986, Orange parades were effectively banned from Obins Street indefinitely. The July 1987 parade was re-routed and 3000 soldiers and 1000 police were sent to keep order. In the minds of the Orangemen, sacrificing the Obins Street leg meant that they would be guaranteed the Garvaghy Road leg. Although the Garvaghy Road leg had caused trouble before, it was less populated than Obins Street in 1987.
1990s: Garvaghy Road
Although nearly ten years passed without serious conflict over the Drumcree parades, both sides remained unhappy with the situation. Despite reluctantly accepting the new route, the Orangemen continued to apply for a march along Obins Street each year. Meanwhile, residents of Garvaghy Road and the surrounding nationalist district (see map) were very unhappy about what they called "triumphalist" Orange parades through their area. They made their opposition known in a number of ways: through the tenants' associations that represented each housing estate, through the Drumcree Faith & Justice Group (DFJG), and through local politicians.Lead-up to July 1995
In 1994, the Provisional IRA and loyalist paramilitaries called ceasefireCeasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
s.
In May 1995 the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC) was formed, comprising representatives from the DFJG and the tenants' associations. Its main goal was to divert Orange marches away from Garvaghy Road through peaceful means. It held peaceful protests, petitioned the RUC and government ministers, and tried to draw media attention to the dispute. The GRRC held regular public meetings with the residents and there were usually about 12 representatives on the GRRC at any one time. According to one of its members, Joanne Tennyson, "Although the GRRC could speak to anyone they wanted, at the end of the day no-one in the committee had the right to say we would do anything, not even ... the spokesman. The community had to agree as a whole and that was the purpose of holding public meetings". The GRRC's first secretary and spokesman was Eamon Stack, a Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
priest and DFJG member who had lived in the area since 1993. Fr Stack emphasized that the GRRC was non-sectarian and was not connected to any political parties. He would remain its spokesman until after July 1997.
By the mid 1990s, the population of Portadown was about 70% Protestant and 30% Catholic. There were three Orange halls in the town and an estimated 40 loyalist marches each summer.
1995
On Sunday 9 July 1995, hundreds of nationalist residents staged a sit-down protestSit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
on Garvaghy Road to block the march. Although the parade was legal and the protest was not, police prevented the parade from taking the Garvaghy Road route. The Orangemen refused to take an alternate route, announcing that they would stay at Drumcree Church until they were allowed to continue. The Orangemen refused to negotiate with the residents' group and the Mediation Network was called upon to intercede. The RUC and local politicians were also involved in trying to resolve the deadlock.
Meanwhile, ~10,000 Orangemen and their supporters were engaged in a standoff with ~1,000 police at Drumcree Church. During this standoff, missiles were continuously thrown at the police, who responded by firing 24 plastic bullet
Plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon they have still caused several deaths. They are generally used for riot control...
s. In support of the Orangeman, loyalists blocked numerous roads across Northern Ireland, and sealed off the port of Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
. On the evening of Monday 10 July, Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
(Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
leader) and David Trimble
David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC , is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party , was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland , and was a Member of the British Parliament . He is currently a life peer for the Conservative Party...
(Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
leader) held a rally at Drumcree Church. Afterwards they gathered a number of Orangemen and tried to push through the police barricade, but were taken away by officers.
By the morning of Tuesday 11 July, a compromise was reached. The Orangemen would be allowed to march along Garvaghy Road on condition that they did so silently, without accompanying bands. GRRC member Breandán Mac Cionnaith says that the agreement was that the parade would go silently along the road, on condition that future parades would only occur with the consent of residents. This claim is not verified by other parties. The protesters were eventually persuaded to clear the road, and the march went ahead. However, as they reached the end of Garvaghy Road, Paisley and Trimble held their hands in the air in what appeared to be a gesture of triumph. Trimble claims that he only took Paisley's hand to prevent the DUP leader from taking all the media attention.
Both sides were deeply unhappy with the events of July 1995. Residents were angered that the parade had gone ahead and at what they saw as unionist triumphalism, while Orangemen and their supporters were angered that their parade had been held up by an illegal protest. Some Orangemen formed a group called Spirit of Drumcree (SoD) to defend their "right to march". At a SoD meeting in Belfast's Ulster Hall
Ulster Hall
The Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade B1 listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences...
one of the platform speakers said, to applause, that
"SectarianSectarianismSectarianism, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.The ideological...
means you belong to a particular sect or organisation. I belong to the Orange Institution. BigotBigotryA bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs...
means you look after the people you belong to. That's what I'm doing. I'm a sectarian bigot and proud of it.'
1996
On Saturday 6 July 1996, the Chief Constable stated that the parade would be banned from marching along Garvaghy Road. Police checkpoints and barricades were set-up on all routes into the nationalist area.On Sunday 7 July the parade gathered at Drumcree Church and was blocked by police barricades. At least 4,000 Orangemen and their supporters began another standoff. That afternoon, Reverend Martin Smyth (then Orange Grand Master) arrived at Drumcree and announced that there could be "no compromise". Again, loyalists began riots and blocked hundreds of roads across Northern Ireland.
On the night of 7 July, Catholic taxi-driver Michael McGoldrick was shot dead near Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
by the Mid Ulster Brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). It is believed the killing was ordered by the brigade's leader, Billy Wright
Billy Wright (loyalist)
William Stephen "Billy" Wright was a prominent Ulster loyalist during the period of violent religious/political conflict known as "The Troubles". He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1975 and became commander of its Mid-Ulster Brigade in the early 1990s...
, from Portadown. Wright was frequently to be seen at Drumcree with Harold Gracey, head of the Portadown Orange Lodge. Members of the brigade smuggled homemade weaponry to Drumcree, apparently unhindered by the Orangemen. Allegedly, the brigade also had plans to drive petrol tankers
Tank truck
A tank truck or road tanker is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquefied loads, dry bulk cargo or gases on roads. The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars which are also designed to carry liquefied loads...
into the Garvaghy area and ignite them. The following month, Wright and the Portadown unit of the Mid-Ulster Brigade were stood down for breaking the ceasefire. Wright took the unit with him and formed a breakaway group called the Loyalist Volunteer Force
Loyalist Volunteer Force
The Loyalist Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright in 1996 when he and the Portadown unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force's Mid-Ulster Brigade was stood down by the UVF leadership. He had been the commander of the Mid-Ulster Brigade. The...
(LVF) and began a campaign of sectarian killing.
On Wednesday 10 July, the RUC reported that, over the previous four days, there had been:
- 100 incidents of intimidation
- 758 attacks on the police
- 90 civilians injured
- 50 police injured
- 662 plastic bullets fired by the police
- 156 arrests made
At noon on Thursday 11 July, the Chief Constable reversed his decision and allowed the parade to march along Garvaghy Road. Residents of Garvaghy Road had not been consulted on this. Rioting erupted immediately as police violently removed protestors from Garvaghy Road, often after beating them. Rioting also erupted in nationalist areas of Lurgan, Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. In Derry, twenty-two protestors were seriously injured and one, Dermot McShane, died after being run-over by a British Army armoured vehicle
Snatch Land Rover
The Snatch Land Rover is a protected patrol vehicle, based around the Land Rover Defender 110 chassis, intended for general patrolling in low-threat areas and is the successor to the Truck Utility Medium with Vehicle Protection Kit...
. Rioting continued throughout the week, during which time the RUC fired a total of 6002 plastic bullets, 5000 of which were directed at nationalists.
The Committee on the Administration of Justice
Committee on the Administration of Justice
CAJ is an independent human rights organisation with cross community membership in Northern Ireland and beyond. It was established in 1981 and lobbies and campaigns on a broad range of human rights issues...
(CAJ), who had sent members to observe the situation, condemned this "completely indiscriminate" use of plastic bullets. Following the events, leaders of both Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
and the SDLP
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
stated that nationalists had completely lost faith in the RUC as an impartial police force.
1997
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
had privately decided to let the parade proceed. This was later revealed in a leaked Northern Ireland Office document. However, in the days leading up to the parade, she insisted that no decision had been made.
Women from the nationalist district set-up a peace camp
Peace camp
Peace camps are a form of physical protest camp that is focused on anti-war activity. They are set up outside military bases by members of the peace movement who oppose either the existence of the military bases themselves, the armaments held there, or the politics of those who control the bases...
along the Garvaghy Road. On Thursday 3 July, the Loyalist Volunteer Force
Loyalist Volunteer Force
The Loyalist Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright in 1996 when he and the Portadown unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force's Mid-Ulster Brigade was stood down by the UVF leadership. He had been the commander of the Mid-Ulster Brigade. The...
(LVF) threatened to kill Catholic civilians if the march was not allowed to proceed. The following day, sixty families had to be evacuated from their homes on Garvaghy Road after a loyalist bomb threat. The Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
also threatened to withdraw from the Northern Ireland peace process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
.
On Sunday 6 July at 3:30am, 1500 soldiers and police moved into the nationalist area and sealed-off all the roads. This led to clashes with around 300 protestors. From this point onward, all residents were prevented from leaving their housing estates and accessing the main road. As residents were also unable to reach the Catholic church, the local priests were forced to hold an open-air mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
in front of a line of soldiers and armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
s.
The parade marched along Garvaghy Road at noon that day. After it passed, the security forces began withdrawing from the area. A large-scale riot developed. About 40 plastic bullet
Plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon they have still caused several deaths. They are generally used for riot control...
s were fired at rioters, and about 18 people were taken to hospital. In nearby Lurgan, nationalist protestors stopped a train and set it alight, while fierce riots erupted in several nationalist areas. Several RUC and Army patrols came under fire, specially in North and West Belfast. The widespread violence lasted until 10 July, when the Orange Order decided unilaterally to re-route six parades. The following day, Orangemen and residents agreed to waive another march in Newtownbutler
Newtownbutler
Newtownbutler or Newtown Butler is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the southeast corner of the County, close to the border with County Monaghan and the town of Clones. It is surrounded by small lakes and bogland and close to Lough Erne...
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
.
In 1997, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams told an RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
journalist of his party's involvement in the dispute:
Ask any activist in the north, ‘did Drumcree happen by accident?', and he will tell you, ‘no'. Three years of work on the lower Ormeau Road, Portadown and parts of Fermanagh and Newry, Armagh and in Bellaghy and up in Derry. Three years of work went into creating that situation and fair play to those people who put the work in. They are the type of scene changes that we have to focus on and develop and exploit.
After July 1997, GRRC member Brendan McKenna
Brendan McKenna
Brendan McKenna is an Irish politician and a prominent residents' group leader. He is the General Secretary of éirígí, a socialist republican party, and was previously an adviser to Sinn Féin members of the Northern Ireland Assembly...
replaced Eamon Stack as the group's spokesman. Mac Cionnaith had been convicted and imprisoned for his involvement in a 1981 IRA bomb attack on Portadown's Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion , sometimes referred to as simply The Legion, is the United Kingdom's leading charity providing financial, social and emotional support to those who have served or who are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants.-History:The British Legion was...
hall. He was released in 1984.
1998
Early in 1998 the Public Processions Act was passed, establishing the Parades CommissionParades Commission
The Parades Commission is a quasi-judicial non-departmental public body responsible for placing restrictions on or banning outright any parades in Northern Ireland it deems contentious or offensive. It is composed of seven members, all of whom are appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern...
. The Commission was now responsible for deciding what route marches should take. On 29 June 1998, the Parades Commission decided to ban the parade from Garvaghy Road.
On Friday 3 July about 1000 soldiers and 1000 police were deployed in the area. They built large barricades across all roads leading into the nationalist area. In the fields between Drumcree Church and the Garvaghy area they also dug a trench
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
(fourteen feet wide), which was then lined with rows of barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
. Soldiers also occupied Drumcree College
Drumcree College
Drumcree College is a secondary school located on the edge of Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It officially opened after the amalgamation of St. Brigid’s Girls' High School and St. Malachy's Boys' High School in 1985 becoming Drumcree High School...
, St John the Baptist Primary School, and some houses close to the barricades.
On Sunday 5 July the Orangemen arrived at Drumcree Church and stated that they would remain there until they were allowed to proceed. A group calling itself "Portadown Action Command" issued a statement which read:
As from midnight on Friday 10th July 1998, any driver of any vehicle supplying any goods of any kind to the Gavaghy Road will be summarily executed.
There was widespread loyalist violence across Northern Ireland. Over the next ten days, 2,561 "public order incidents" were recorded, this included:
- 144 houses attacked (the vast majority owned by Catholics and/or nationalists)
- 165 other buildings attacked (the vast majority owned by Catholics and/or nationalists)
- 178 vehicles hijacked
- 467 vehicles damaged
- 615 attacks on members of the security forces (including 24 shooting incidents)
- 76 police offices injured
- 632 petrol bombs thrown
- 837 plastic bullets fired by security forces
- 284 people arrested
On Sunday 12 July at 4:30am, Jason (aged 8), Mark (aged 9) and Richard Quinn (aged 10)
Quinn brothers
Jason, Richard and Mark Quinn were three brothers who were all killed in a firebomb attack on their home in Ballymoney on 12 July 1998, towards the end of the three-decade period known as "The Troubles"....
were burnt to death when their home was firebombed
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
by loyalists. The boys' mother was a Catholic, and their home was in a mainly-Protestant part of Ballymoney
Ballymoney
Ballymoney is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,021 people in the 2001 Census. It is currently served by Ballymoney Borough Council....
. Following the murders, William Bingham (County Grand Chaplain of Armagh and member of the Orange Order negotiating team) said that "walking down the Garvaghy Road would be a hollow victory, because it would be in the shadow of three coffins of little boys who wouldn't even know what the Orange Order is about". He said that the Order had lost control of the situation and that "no road is worth a life". However he later apologised for implying that the Order was in any way responsible for the deaths.
The murders provoked widespread anger and calls for the Orange Order to end their protest at Drumcree. Although the number of Orangemen dropped greatly, the Portadown lodges voted unanimously to continue their standoff.
On Wednesday 15 July at 6:30am the RUC began a search operation in the fields at Drumcree. A number of weapons were uncovered in the search, including: a home-made machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
, explosive devices
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
, and crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
s with home-made explosive arrows.
1999
In the year after July 1998, the Orange Order and GRRC tried to resolve the dispute through "proximity talks" using go-betweens. The Orangemen refused to talk directly to the GRRC. Some senior Portadown Orangemen claim that they had been promised a parade on Garvaghy Road later that year if they could control things on the traditional parading dates.March to June
On 14 March 1999, the Parades Commission said that the upcoming march would again be banned from Garvaghy Road. The following day the GRRC's legal advisor, Rosemary Nelson
Rosemary Nelson
Rosemary Nelson was a prominent Northern Irish human rights lawyer who was killed by a loyalist paramilitary group in 1999...
, was assassinated in Lurgan. The killing was claimed by the "Red Hand Defenders
Red Hand Defenders
The Red Hand Defenders is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1998 by loyalists who opposed the Belfast Agreement and the loyalist ceasefires. Its members were drawn mostly from the Ulster Defence Association and Loyalist Volunteer Force...
", who had detonated a bomb under her car.
In April 1999, Portadown loyalists threatened to mount a picket
Picket
Picket may refer to:* Picketing , a form of protest* A climbing tool used to anchor a rope* Picket fence* Screw picket, a tethering device* Picket line, to tether horses* Picket , a military formation* Picket, a piece in fairy chess...
of St John's Catholic Church at the top of Garvaghy Road. On 29 May a 'junior' Orange march passed near Garvaghy Road. There were clashes following the march with 13 RUC officers and four civilians hurt. The RUC fired 50 plastic bullets during the clashes.
July
The 1999 Drumcree march took place on Sunday 4 July. The security forces had again blocked all roads leading into the nationalist area with large steel barricades. Although some missiles were thrown at Drumcree church, the protest there was calm compared to last year.
The barricades were removed on 14 July. On 28 July, a 15-year-old Catholic boy was attacked as Orangemen removed their arch at the end of Garvaghy Road. He was allegedly beaten by loyalists within yards of two RUC landrovers.
On 31 July, a loyalist wielding an AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
and a handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
walked along Craigwell Avenue (a street of Catholic-owned houses) firing shots. He was wrestled to the ground and arrested. In August, the street was evacuated after a hoax bomb alert, and the houses were attacked with breeze blocks.
Also that year, the GRRC published a book detailing the history of Orange parades in the area. The book was called Garvaghy: A Community Under Siege.
2000
April to JuneIn April 2000, a newspaper reported that Portadown Orangemen had threatened PM Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, saying that if that year's march was banned from Garvaghy Road it would prove to be his "Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday
-Events :* Bloody Sunday , a demonstration in London, England against British repression in Ireland* Bloody Sunday , a day of high casualties in the Second Boer War, South Africa...
". The following month, almost 200 masked loyalists attacked Catholic-owned houses on Craigwell Avenue after assembling at Carlton Street Orange Hall. Allegedly RUC landrovers were nearby but did not intervene. On 27 May, the nationalist area was sealed-off so that a 'junior' Orange parade could march along the lower end of Garvaghy Road. The march included men in paramilitary uniform.
On 31 May, a children's cross-community concert at St John's Catholic Church was disrupted by Portadown Oangemen beating Lambeg drums, allegedly trying to drown it out. Present at the concert were Secretary of State Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
and UUP leader (and Orangeman) David Trimble. After the concert, teachers, parents, children and guests headed for a reception at the Protestant Portadown College. They were met by a 300-strong loyalist mob who hurled missiles and sectarian abuse while preventing families from leaving the hall. The security forces were deployed but did not disperse the mob or make arrests. On 7 June, St John's Catholic Church was set alight by arsonists.
On 16 June, Catholic workers at Denny's factory in Portadown walked-out after placards carrying sectarian slogans were erected near the main entrance. The week before, loyalists had thrown missiles at Catholics leaving the factory. The placards were removed shortly after. Later in the month, loyalists sent death threats to workers who were reinforcing the security barrier (or "peace line") along Corcrain Road. The work stopped, leaving the nationalist area vulnerable to attack.
July
In July, it was revealed that members of Neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
group Combat 18
Combat 18
Combat 18 is a violent neo-Nazi organisation associated with Blood and Honour. It originated in the United Kingdom, but has since spread to other countries. Members of Combat 18 have been suspected in numerous deaths of immigrants, non-whites, and other C18 members...
were travelling from England to join the Orangemen at Drumcree. They were given shelter by LVF members in Portadown and Tandragee. That month, Portadown Orangeman Ivan Hewitt (who sported Neo-Nazi tattoos) warned in a TV documentary that it may be time for loyalists to "bring their war to Britain".
The 2000 Drumcree march took place on Sunday 2 July. It was again banned from Garvaghy Road and the nationalist area was sealed-off with barricades. Speaking after the march was stopped, District Master Harold Gracey called for widespread protests across Northern Ireland. Stoneyford Orangeman Mark Harbinson, who was associated with the paramilitary Orange Volunteers
Orange Volunteers
The Orange Volunteers or Orange Volunteer Force is an Ulster loyalist and Protestant fundamentalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland.-Origins:...
, had earlier proclaimed that "the war begins today". On Monday 3 July a crowd of over fifty loyalists, led by UDA commander Johnny Adair
Johnny Adair
Jonathan Adair, better known as Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair is the former leader of the "C Company", 2nd Battalion Shankill Road, West Belfast Brigade of the "Ulster Freedom Fighters" . This was a cover name used by the Ulster Defence Association , an Ulster loyalist paramilitary organisation...
, appeared at Drumcree with a banner bearing "Shankill Road UFF" [Ulster Freedom Fighters]. In the Corcrain area, LVF gunmen fired a volley of shots in the air for Adair and a cheering crowd. On Tuesday 4 July, security forces used water cannon
Water cannon
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-pressure stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of metres / hundreds of feet. They are used in firefighting and riot control. Most water cannon fall under the category of a fire...
against protestors at the Drumcree barricade – their first deployment in Northern Ireland for over 30 years.
In an interview on 7 July, Harold Gracey refused to condemn the violence linked to the protests, saying "Gerry Adams doesn't condemn violence so I'll not". On 9 July, the RUC warned that loyalists had threatened to "kill a Catholic a day" until the Orangemen were allowed to march along Garvaghy Road. Two days later, a group of 150–200 loyalists ordered all shops in Portadown's town centre to shut. Along with another group, they then tried to march on Garvaghy Road from both ends, but were held back by the RUC. That night, 21 RUC officers were hurt during clashes with loyalists.
On 14 July, Portadown Orangemen's calls for another day of widespread protest went unheeded as the Armagh and Grand Lodges refused to support their calls. Businesses remained open and only a handful of roads were blocked for a short time. The security barriers were removed and soldiers returned to barracks.
2001 onward
Since July 1998, the Orangemen have applied to march the traditional route every Sunday of the year – both the outward leg via Obins Street (which has been banned since 1986) and the return leg via Garvaghy Road. They have also held a small protest at Drumcree Church every Sunday since then. Their proposals have been rejected by the Parades Commission.In February 2001, loyalists held protests on the lower Garvaghy Road as part of the run-up to "day 1000" of the standoff. The GRRC said that up to 300 people, some masked and armed with clubs, intimidated people living on Garvaghy Road. Some protesters also attacked a car with four women inside.
There was further violence in May 2001. On 5 May, 300 Orangemen and supporters tried to march on to Garvaghy Road but were stopped by RUC. There were some scuffles between Orangemen and RUC officers. District Master Harold Gracey drew controversy when he said to the RUC officers: "We all know where you come from...you come from the Protestant community, the vast majority of you come from the Protestant community and it is high time that you supported your own Protestant people". On 12 May there were clashes between loyalists and nationalists on Woodhouse Street. On 27 May there were clashes between nationalists and the RUC after a "junior" Orange march on the lower Garvaghy Road.
Four days before the July 2001 Drumcree march, 200 supporters and members of the UDA/UFF rallied at Drumcree. The Portadown Orange Lodge claimed that it was powerless to stop such people from gathering and that they could not be held responsible for their actions. Nevertheless, David Jones (the Lodge's spokesman) said that he welcomed any support. Bríd Rogers, a local SDLP MLA, called this "a further example" of Jones's "double standards". She said that Jones's lodge would not speak to the GRRC because of Mac Cionnaith's "terrorist past", yet "he is quite happy to associate with people who have a terrorist present". The march passed off peacefully under a heavy security presence.
Since 2001 Drumcree has been relatively calm, with outside support for the Portadown lodges' campaign declining and the violence lessening greatly. Mac Cionnaith said that he believes the conflict is essentially over. The Orange Order continues to campaign for the right to march on Garvaghy Road.
Map
Routes of the Protestant parades before they were banned from Obins Street (A) in 1986.
Blue line: Route taken on 12 July; from Corcrain Hall (E) along Obins Street (A) and under the railway bridge (C).
Green areas are largely nationalist/Catholic.
Orange areas are largely unionist/Protestant.
Further reading
- The Parades Commission's Determination in Relation to the Drumcree Church Parade on 5 July 1998
- Dominic Bryan, "Drumcree: An Introduction to Parade Disputes" from his book Orange Parades: The Politics of Ritual, Tradition and Control
- P. Mulholland, "Drumcree: A Struggle for Recognition" from the Irish Journal of Sociology Vol. 9.
- Susan McKay, "Portadown: Bitter Harvest", from her book Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People
- Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN): Developments at Drumcree, 1995-2000
Websites of organisations directly involved in the dispute
- Archived version of the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition website
- Portadown District LOL No. 1
- Parades Commission
See also
- Parades in Northern IrelandParades in Northern IrelandParades are an important part of Northern Irish culture. Although the majority of parades are held ostensibly by Protestant, unionist or Ulster loyalist groups, nationalist, republican and non-political groups also parade. Parading is often considered to be an assertion of a group's control over a...
- The Troubles in PortadownThe Troubles in PortadownThis article recounts the violence and other effects related to The Troubles in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Much of it has been related to the Drumcree parade dispute.- Overview :...
- Orange VolunteersOrange VolunteersThe Orange Volunteers or Orange Volunteer Force is an Ulster loyalist and Protestant fundamentalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland.-Origins:...