The prospects of a resolution of the annual Drumcree standoff ahead of Sunday's scheduled Orange parade appeared very remote last night after the Garvaghy Road Residents' Association said that despite a conciliation initiative, the Orange Order was still holding to a policy of "no walk, no talks".
Mr Breandán MacCionnaith, head of the nationalist residents' group in Portadown, confirmed that compromise proposals were put forward this year but as far as he was concerned they did not radically differ from previous unacceptable attempts to settle the long-running dispute.
Portadown Orangemen were prepared to accept that if a parade from Drumcree Church past the Garvaghy Road took place this Sunday then any future Drumcree parades would take place only with the consent of nationalist residents, according to unionist and nationalist sources.
In addition, Portadown Orange Lodge would engage in talks with Garvaghy residents this year if the march were allowed, the sources added. A key player in this attempt at a resolution was Derry businessman Mr Garbhan O'Doherty.
The Orange Order called him in as an "honest broker", sources said, because of the role he played in resolving the annual disputes in Derry over the Apprentice Boys' August parade in the city. A significant element in solving that issue was the parade's incorporation into an annual community festival.
Confirming the behind the scenes efforts to achieve a breakthrough, the local Upper Bann MP and Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, said nationalists were reluctant to engage in serious talks. "Conversations and attempts that were being made several weeks ago have not made as much progress as we would have liked for the usual reasons. Namely, there is a reluctance on the part of representatives of the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition to engage in any serious discussions with anybody," he told BBC Radio Ulster yesterday.
While Orange sources said the order had moved significantly and that this should be recognised by nationalists, Mr Mac Cionnaith was unimpressed. He told The Irish Times that what was on offer from the Orange Order were proximity talks involving the two sides to agree the parade on Sunday, and only after such agreement would local Orangemen engage directly with the Garvaghy residents. "It's still a case of march first, consent after," he added.
Mr MacCionnaith was also dismissive of the Orange offer that future Drumcree parades could occur only with local nationalist consent. "That was what was agreed in the first Drumcree in 1995, but that agreement was totally destroyed by David Trimble and the Orange Order," said Mr MacCionnaith.
"If there is to be a genuine talks process, then each party should come to the table without any preconceived outcomes in mind. The Orange Order should know that one outcome to the talks would be that they could march along the Garvaghy Road.
"Conversely, they should know that another outcome is that they would not march along the Garvaghy Road," added Mr Mac Cionnaith.
The SDLP deputy leader, Ms Bríd Rodgers, after meeting PSNI officers in Portadown yesterday, said that "rumours of back door deals" were causing concern among nationalist residents.
Both she and Mr Martin McGuinness appealed for dialogue without preconditions.
