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On behalf of Portadown District LOL No 1 I would like to
thank each and every one of you for your attendance at our
Annual Church Service and Parade to Drumcree Parish Church.
Once again we find ourselves standing in front of this barrier
preventing us from completing our traditional route from Drumcree
Parish Church back to our starting point in Carleton Street.
As you are all aware this part of our Parade and Church Service
has not been completed since July 1998. However, I must inform
you that it is not without the District Officers of this fine
District putting in a lot of effort and time seeking a resolution
to the impasse. We will not be walking away from this place
and I can assure you that we will continue to work hard to
achieve what we desire. Also to the Officers and Brethren
of Portadown District can I, on behalf of the District Officers,
thank you for your continued support and help over the years.
We attempt to complete our parade each and every Sunday -
a fact that most people in Northern Ireland are not aware
of - and there is a presence on the Hill every night. This
has been the case since July 1998 when our late District Master
Wor Bro Harold Gracey said that we would remain on protest
until our rights have been restored. There have been many
changes in Northern Ireland since Harold uttered those words
- we now have an assembly in place, the RUC have been replaced
by a police service that is not fit to tie the shoe laces
of the RUC, loyalists have decommissioned their weapons, the
Deputy First Minister states that the Orange Order should
voluntarily change routes away from (what he terms) Nationalist
areas. We parade, not just for ourselves, but on almost every
banner in an Orange Parade you will see the slogan "Civil
and Religious Liberty". This is meant for ALL, not just
the Orange Order. Perhaps the Deputy First Minister should
take the time to understand the meaning of what is portrayed
on a lot of our Banners and stop lecturing the Orange Order
- we certainly do not need him telling the Brethren of Portadown
District where they can walk, or indeed how they will behave
whilst on Parade. The Deputy First Minister keeps talking
about a 'shared future', but the message must go to him from
this place today that all we can see is that his notion of
a shared future is his past.
Of course, whilst the security forces are the ones given
the task of preventing us from completing our parade, the
blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the non-Parades Commission,
in particular the outgoing Chair, Roger Poole. Roger came
into the job with great gusto, he would do this and he would
do that. After four years I can tell you all, he did nothing.
What a waste of taxpayers money, flying him in and out of
the country every week.
In October 2006 Portadown District informed the Parades Commission
that we were ready and willing to enter face-to-face mediation.
To this day, almost three years later, he has been unable,
or unwilling, to take the necessary steps to get both sides
round the table. We in Portadown District are not sorry to
see Roger Poole retiring from the job and we can only hope
and pray that his successor, Rena Shepherd, will be much more
proactive in seeking a resolution to the impasse. Once again,
on behalf of Portadown District I can state today that we
are ready, willing and able to enter face-to-face mediation
with NO PRECONDITIONS.
As regards the Ashdown review on parading, it holds no solace
for Portadown District, as this parade is regarded as a legacy
parade and is not to be included under the new arrangements
for parading. Who will adjudicate on this parade? - not even
the Minister for Security, Paul Goggins MP, was able to inform
the Grand Master, County Grand Master and myself at a recent
meeting we held with him!
Following a recent meeting with the First Minister, Peter
Robinson, we welcome the steps initiated by him, which were
announced yesterday. I can also confirm that the offer of
assistance came from Peter Robinson in his role of First Minister
and not as simply leader of the DUP. We are particularly pleased
that he has identified the importance of parading to the Protestant
and Unionist culture. The First Minister's statement is, we
believe, a valuable contribution to the process and given
good will on all sides has the ability to move the situation
forward. Portadown District LOL No 1 will once again not be
found wanting in our response to this initiative.
In connection with this, allow me to address the people of
the Garvaghy Road directly - I am sure that the residents
on the Garvaghy Road are, along with ourselves, welcoming
of the news that Mr McKenna has intimated in newspaper reports
that he too is willing to enter a meeting with the First Minister.
We can only hope and pray that these comments from him in
the press are correct and that he does respond quickly and
positively to the invitation from the First Minister. We would
like to think that both meetings with the First Minister could
take place within the next week to 10 days.
If there is the will on both sides, I am firmly of the opinion
that the First Minister will continue to provide the proactive
leadership which he has shown, and has been so lacking with
Roger Poole.
Finally please do not rush away for 2 reasons - firstly the
Ladies on the Hill, who are here every night, have a cup of
tea and some eats for everyone and secondly Roger Poole stated
that the Hill should be clear by 2.30pm today. I can assure
you that Portadown District Officers will remain on the Hill
past this time.
Here We Stand, We Can Do No Other!
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