First Minister O’Neill welcomes Bryant’s decision to stop Garvaghy Road parade
The First Minister praised the Secretary of State’s late intervention, saying it should have come sooner.
By Felo News Desk · Published
First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she felt relief after Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant moved to stop an Orange Order parade on Garvaghy Road, ending a two‑week stand‑off.
What happened
Sir Chris Bryant announced the cancellation of the parade on 9 October 2026, after police said they could not safely facilitate the march despite a Parades Commission ruling that had cleared the route for the first time in almost three decades. The decision came after large‑scale protests by Garvaghy Road residents and a police chief constable warning that allowing the procession would pose an “unacceptable risk of serious injury and disorder”.
What the reports add
- The Standard articles note that Bryant said he had reviewed the original Parades Commission determination before deciding to ban the march.
- Both pieces report that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) contacted a number of people, including O’Neill, with letters about potential breaches of the law over gatherings on Garvaghy Road.
- O’Neill received a PSNI letter and said she would “go through the process” and do “whatever needs to be done”.
- She added she was not aware that Sinn Fein president Mary‑Lou McDonald had also received a PSNI letter.
What was said
“We said from day one, the Secretary of State could step in, he could have stopped this nonsense, he could have put an end to it, but unfortunately he chose not to until the 11th hour,” O’Neill told RTÉ, as reported by the Standard.
“There’s tears. There’s a bag of emotions. I mean, these people have been on a roller coaster over the course of the last fortnight,” she added, according to the Standard.
“I will go through the process. I’ll do whatever needs to be done,” O’Neill said of the PSNI letter.
“I’m happy that the decision that I took was the right decision. It was to do what was right, and it was to support that community who needed my support,” she said.
How it came about
The stand‑off grew out of a long‑running dispute over the Drumcree parade route. On 6 October 2026, Felo News reported that O’Neill and a coalition of musicians and artists, including Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, Ken Loach and Mick Lynch, urged Bryant to intervene, signing a letter calling for an international mediator. A legal appeal by Garvaghy Road residents was filed on 29 September 2026, alleging the Parades Commission mis‑represented police evidence. Bryant met with both sides in Portadown after the march was blocked, and Sinn Fein leaders Mary‑Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill met with him in Dublin before the ban was announced.
Key facts
- First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she felt relief after the parade was halted (standard.co.uk)
- Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant cancelled the Orange Order parade on 10 October (standard.co.uk)
- Police said they could not safely facilitate the march despite the Parades Commission ruling (standard.co.uk)
- The decision ended a two‑week standoff over the Garvaghy Road route (standard.co.uk)
Background
The dispute over the Drumcree parade on Garvaghy Road has escalated over months, with previous appeals and calls for intervention documented in Felo News articles dated 6 October and 29 September 2026.
Timeline
- 2026-09-29 — Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition filed a new Court of Appeal application to stop the Drumcree march
- 2026-10-06 — Michelle O’Neill and artists urged Sir Chris Bryant to intervene in the Drumcree standoff
- 2026-10-09 — Sir Chris Bryant announced a ban on the Drumcree parade
- 2026-10-10 — First Minister expressed relief after the parade was halted
Why it matters
The cancellation averts a potential outbreak of serious disorder in a historically volatile area of Northern Ireland.
What happens next
Police will continue to monitor the Garvaghy Road area, and community leaders have called for dialogue to address underlying tensions.
Sources
- [1] standard.co.uk
- [2] standard.co.uk
