Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking to the media ahead of the Cairde Fail president’s dinner Brian Lawless/PA
drumcree
Taoiseach questions Sinn Féin ‘sincerity’ over Drumcree dispute
Sinn Féin leaders gathered at the protest on Saturday, insisting “there can be no going back”
THE TAOISEACH HAS accused Sinn Féin of a “lack of sincerity” and an “overly simplistic” view on resolving the Drumcree dispute.
It comes as thousands gathered at rival rallies in Portadown over the weekend amid the ongoing stand-off over the stalled Orange Order march.
Sinn Féin leaders Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou MacDonald were in attendance, arriving to applause and cheers as they walked down Garvaghy Road.
Speaking at the protest, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said: “I raise my hat to you. I thank you on behalf of people everywhere, for having the courage to make this stand.
“You make a difference for us all. And we shall overcome. And there will be no Orange march down this road. Not now. Not ever,” McDonald said.
In a post on X, O’Neill wrote that “There can be no unwanted march down the Garvaghy Road. There can be no going back!”
McDonald previously called on Micheál Martin to tell British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant that they have a responsibility to stop the march on Garvaghy Road.
Both Sinn Féin leaders met Martin to discuss the impasse during the week.
Martin had been criticised at the rally on Saturday with boos and chants of “shame” as Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín accused the leader of “standing idly by”.
Asked about being booed at the rally and the calls for action from Sinn Féin, Martin said: “I met with the leader of Sinn Féin and I met with the First Minister last week, and I worry about their sincerity at times in respect of these issues.
“Because I met them in good faith, but the meetings seem to be more about press choreography than substance.”
He added “I just feel that the meeting last week lacked a degree of – at the end of the day – sincerity, because there were comments made before the meeting, there were comments made after the meeting.
Speaking at a Fianna Fáil event in Dublin, Martin added: “They think Drumcree could be sorted by me simply telling Andy Burnham what to do, and that’s it.
“Now I think that’s overly simplistic, and I don’t agree with them on that.”
Continuing dialogue
The Taoiseach said it was the government’s view the dispute would be resolved through continuing dialogue.
“We’ve been in close contact all week with the British Government.
“There have been talks between the community and between the Orange Order. If they do not yield a result, there are further legal actions.”
He added: “Everyone needs to be calm, and everybody needs to be very sensitive in terms of what they say right now, because we simply do not want to go back to the visions of the past.”
He said both governments were “very keen” for mediation and building a foundation for reconciliation.
Bryant said on social media that his “door remains open” as he urged the sides to come to a “mutually acceptable agreement” to end the dispute.
Bryant also urged for calm over the weekend, encouraging people to stop travelling to Portadown.
The dispute around the Drumcree parade was sparked after marchers were given the green light last week by the Parades Commission for the first time since 1998, but has been stalled ever since following a protest by the Garvaghy Road residents.
The coalition of residents in the largely nationalist area is opposed to the parade due to the conflict associated with it in the 1990s
Talks to break the deadlock were launched earlier this week, but ended without agreement again on Thursday night.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has said that those blocking the Garvaghy Road will be treated as participating in an unnotified and therefore illegal protest, and will face criminal justice consequences.
In a statement issued on Friday, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson of the PSNI said that a “major public safety operation” will continue throughout the weekend and police will do “everything we can” to maintain order.
With additional reporting by PA
have your say