Orange Order holds annual Drumcree Church parade

The Orange Order have held their annual parade past Drumcree Church in Portadown.

The parade route has been a source of contention since 1997, when the parade passed along the now banned Garvaghy Road route.

Orange Order members marched instead from Carleton Street Orange Hall on Sunday morning, to Drumcree Parish Church, a route of around two miles.

The usual route then sees the procession move on to the Garvaghy Road impasse, where it is blocked from going any further.

Darryl Hewitt, Portadown District Master at Drumcree, said that the Parades Commission should be done away with.

“The Parades Commission have once again shown their utter contempt for the Orange Institution in general – just look at some of the determinations they produce – and Portadown District in particular,” he said.

“In fact when we last met representatives of the Parades Commission, one of them interjected in the discussion and stated that he had been on the Commission for three years and had yet to see or hear anything new coming out of Portadown.

“Our resolve has not diminished over the weeks, months and indeed years.

“No-one should be in any doubt – Portadown District are in this for the long haul. We will not be deflected from seeking to achieve our objective.”