Commission rules out Orange march

The parade to Drumcree last took place in 1997

The Parades Commission has ruled that the annual Orange parade at Drumcree will not be allowed to pass down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.

The route was last used by Orangemen in 1997.

A spokesperson for the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition said the march would have had a hugely detrimental effect on the life of the community.

SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly welcomed the Parades Commission's determination on the march.

'Respect'

"It is the right decision and the only decision in the absent of prolonged or sustained dialogue with the nationalist community," she said.

"Future determinations must respect the views of the wider nationalist community in this area."

The Drumcree parade has been one of the most contentious in Northern Ireland.

In the last two years, the parade has passed off peacefully, but, in the past, there has been serious violence.