Another Drumcree parade planned

Tension surrounds the annual Drumcree parade

Portadown Orangemen have confirmed they plan another parade at Drumcree, the centre of one of Northern Ireland's most contentious marching disputes.

They have asked the Northern Ireland Parades Commission for permission to march on Sunday 9 July.

The traditional - and controversial - Drumcree parade is usually held on the Sunday before 12 July, Northern Ireland's main marching day.

The Orange Order has already applied for a number of Drumcree marches earlier in the month.

Last week, it emerged they had applied for permission to march down the Garvaghy Road on 2 July, a week earlier than expected for their annual parade. They have also applied for a number of marches from 2-8 July.

Tension has surrounded the annual July parade to a Somme commemoration service at Drumcree for the last five years.

The parades are controversial because Orangemen want to return to their Orange Hall by marching through the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road area of Portadown, County Armagh - against the wishes of many residents.

The Northern Ireland Parades Commission has imposed restrictions on the march for the past two years, which prevented it going down the Garvaghy Road.

Brian Currin has been accepted as Drumcree mediator

On Saturday, Portadown Orangemen hosted their annual mini-twelfth parade through the town.

Around 1,000 Orangemen and bands paraded through Portadown town centre watched by hundreds of local people.

At the parade, the Order's District Master, Harold Gracey, repeated his opposition to direct talks with the Garvaghy Road residents over the marches, and said he was in no position to do deals with anyone.

He added that he was totally opposed to the use of violence by march supporters.

Breandan MacCionnnaith: Major problems to be overcome

Mr Gracey said: "The only thing this is going to achieve is that some of your children or some of your husbands are going to come home with serious injuries or maybe in a box.

"So what is it going to solve, violence will not solve anything."

He added that if members of his order decided to walk away from a protest against the diversion away from the Garvaghy Road, he could no longer continue as an Orangeman.

Meanwhile, the SDLP Assembly Member for Upper Bann, Brid Rodgers has welcomed Mr Gracey's appeal for no violence.

Speaking on Sunday, she said the Drumcree dispute can and should be resolved locally.

Mrs Rodgers said: "The assembly has given a lead in how contentious issues can be resolved through dialogue and accommodation."

A series of talks on the issue with UK Government officials have failed to broker a resolution to the dispute over the route of the parade.

South African human rights lawyer and mediator Brian Currin met nationalist residents opposed to the annual parade on Thursday, and government officials on Friday.

After Thursday's meeting, Garvaghy Residents' Coalition spokesman Breandan MacCionnaith said they believed Mr Currin was "independent and impartial and might be able to bring a new approach".

He added: "But people should not underestimate the problems that have to be faced here, and neither should they try to hype up what is happening at the current time."