GARVAGHY Road residents and their legal team are at the High Court in Belfast for their legal challenge against Friday's Parades Commission decision to permit an Orange Order march though the Nationalist district of Portadown on Sunday morning.
On arrival they were greeted with applause by a large crowd of supporters, and Breandán Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition addressed those gathered. Among those present were prominent Sinn Féin and SDLP politicians.
Mr Mac Cionnaith said the law is supposed to be about justice and they were here to seek justice for their community in Portadown. He said that since yesterday’s Parades Commission decision the Garvaghy residents had received huge support from throughout Ireland.
“Ireland is behind us," he said. "Ireland is standing for justice here.”
He added: “For this just to be a so-called small, normal little demonstration by the Orange Order, the Chief Constable is going to have to explain why he decided at the beginning of the week that they needed reinforcements from England.”
Earlier, unionist representatives arrived at the High Court.
On Friday Breandán Mac Cionnaith spoke of the Garvaghy Road community's shock at the Parades Commission decision.
"Between 1996 and 1999, 21 people lost their lives at the hands of those acting on behalf of the Orange Order at Drumcree," he said. "21 people, 21 deaths, 21 families.”
He added: "Every one of those deaths, every one of those murders, impacted deeply on our community. For somehow or other we felt that we were to blame for standing up for our rights that those people had to die. So when we go into this court tomorrow it’s not just about our community now that we are thinking about, we are going in there on behalf of those 21 families who lost their lives at the hands of loyalists."
Judge has risen. She wants the parties to consider the very important issues to our society. What’s changed in police assessment? etc.
— Amanda Ferguson (@AmandaFBelfast) September 26, 2026
Quick update from outside the High Court.
Proceedings have been paused after it emerged that material had not been disclosed to all parties involved in the case.
The judge is now seeking clarity on whether that information can be obtained today before proceedings continue.
The… pic.twitter.com/xXLbehhEnA
— Paul Doherty (@PaulDoherty___) September 26, 2026
Meanwhile, the Garvaghy Road Residents Association have this afternoon lodged an application for a counter-protest at 7am on Sunday morning.
It would involve an estimated 5,000 participants, according to the application, which is currently listed on the Parades Commission website.
The outward parade is listed as taking place from 7am to 11am, with the return route requested from 1pm to 4pm.
Judge again wants the parties to reach agreement for everyone’s sake. “…be big enough to step back from the abyss”
— Amanda Ferguson (@AmandaFBelfast) September 26, 2026
