Residents warn of ``catastrophe''
by Michael Pierse
Garvaghy Road Councillor Breandán Mac Cionnaith warned this week
of ``possibly catastrophic circumstances'' if there is ``no attempt
by the governments to resolve [the marching] problem.''
Mac Cionnaith was among representatives of the Lower Ormeau
Concerned Community (LOCC) and the Garvaghy Road Residents
Coalition (GRRC) who met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin on
Tuesday.
During a press conference prior to the meeting, chaired by Robert
Ballagh of the INC, Breandán Mac Cionnaith and Orla Moloney
(GRRC) and Gerard Rice and Michael Goodman (LOCC), spoke of their
hopes and concerns for the coming months.
``I think it's very important for people to come down and face
reality,'' said Breandán Mac Cionnaith in reference to the
post-referendum euphoria. The sense of foreboding in relation to
the marching issue has not been helped by the continuing refusal
of Orangemen to consider dialogue with nationalist communities.
Gerard Rice (LOCC) emphasised that ``this issue can be easily
resolved with the political will....The No people are those who are
wishing to march through these areas.'' This point was emphasised
throughout the conference, that it is those who opposed the Good
Friday document, those who refused to enter into dialogue, those
who have opposed change at every opportunity who are seeking to
wreck the momentum provided for in the document. In essence ``the
Orange Order have sought for years and for generations to do
nothing but wreck peace,'' Rice said.
Mac Cionnaith also referred to the security presence associated
with the marches. ``Last year 2,500 RUC members imposed martial
law'' on the 6,000 strong Garvaghy Road community, he explained.
This scenario was also presented by Gerard Rice, who said that
the Lower Ormeau suffers five days of saturation from the crown
forces. ``We live in an estate where sectarianism is tolerated and
in the month of July it is trailed up and down our streets.''
Mac Cionnaith spoke of his disappointment that David Trimble, the
MP for his area, is still refusing to enter dialogue with the
local community. ``People can at least expect that their local MP
will sit down and discuss their grievances with them,'' he said.
However, he was still hopeful of negotiations being a success.
``We are going to enter dialogue and we are not going to rule out
any possible outcome.''
A joint statement from the residents groups commented that ``we
will be asking the Taoiseach to use his influence and authority
to ensure that parades are not forced on unwilling communities
this year and that dialogue and agreement - rather than
confrontation and violence - become the basis for parading in our
society.''
In a separate development, at a public meeting this month in
Downpatrick, a Concerned Residents' Association (DCRA) was
founded ``with the sole purpose of resolving the problems
surrounding the proposed Twelfth demonstration in Downpatrick.''
The association commented that a contentious parade scheduled for
12 July ``would merely be a `coat-trailing exercise.'
Particularly, when non-controvesial alternative venues are
available.''
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