Republican News · Thursday 28 March 2002

Mixed responses to Parades Commission decisions

Residents of the Lower Ormeau Road have welcomed the decision to reroute the Easter Monday Apprentice Boys parade away from the area. Lower Ormeau Concerned Community spokesperson Gerard Rice said that people in the area were relieved that the Parades Commission had finally acknowledged the special sensitivities in the Lower Ormeau arising out of the violence of the last 30 years.

"The Parades Commission has for the first time explicitly recognised the impact of the 'Troubles' on the area, not just the victims of Sean Graham's but also victims of a long catalogue of attacks over the last 30 years," said Rice.

"If applied consistently, this decision could and should mean an end to parades in the area for the foreseeable future. If the Parades Commission recognises the special sensitivities of the area then it must also recognise that the hurt and pain behind those sensitivities will take a long time to heal.

"We would like to see the loyal orders accept the reality that their parades cause offence in the area and agree to voluntarily reroute future parades. We would like them to see that their day's parading is actually enhanced, not diminished, by staying away from an area where parades cause such obvious and avoidable offence and hurt."

By contrast, Sinn Féin Councillor for the Oldpark Ward, Margaret McClenaghan has branded the Parade Commission's decision to allow an Apprentice Boys march down the Crumlin Road as insulting and insensitive.

"The decision to allow a contentious parade to pass the nationalist section of the Crumlin Road is an insult to the communities of Ardoyne and Mountain View," she said. "It completely ignores the feelings of the nationalist community and the consequences for community relations. It has taken months to begin the process of repairing the damage wrought by the loyalist blockade of Holy Cross School. The parade runs the risk of undermining much of that work."