SF calls for Derry forum to reconvene

Sinn Fein has called for the urgent reconvening of Derry's Civic Forum to break the deadlock over Saturday week's Apprentice …

Sinn Fein has called for the urgent reconvening of Derry's Civic Forum to break the deadlock over Saturday week's Apprentice Boys' parade on the city's walls.

There is still no accommodation between the Apprentice Boys and the nationalist Bogside Residents' Group (BRG) ahead of a decision by the Parades Commission, expected on Monday, on whether the parade will be allowed or rerouted.

Last week, the Apprentice Boys shared the same room as the BRG at a meeting of Derry's shared city forum. Local church, community and business groups also attended. However, the two sides could not reach agreement.

The BRG has said it plans to hold a protest near the war memorial in Derry's Diamond area if the parade is allowed on Saturday week, a decision which the Apprentice Boys have described as "beneath contempt and beyond condemnation".

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Mr Donncha Mac Niallais, of the BRG, said the issue could be resolved only through voluntary accommodation. It was meeting the Parades Commission last night to determine if a commission facilitator could help break the deadlock.

Derry Sinn Fein councillor Mr Gerry O hEara called on the Civic Forum chairman Mr Martin Bradley to reconvene the forum. "If all the parties to the dispute are serious about finding a solution then it is quite a simple matter to find a venue and notify the principals concerned within a few hours."

Local Apprentice Boys indicated their willingness to participate in a reconvened forum or to engage with a Parades Commission facilitator if it were believed that could resolve the dispute. However, Mr Bradley, a former SDLP mayor of Derry, said it would be difficult to organise a meeting in which all interested parties would be involved at such short notice.

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty is the former Northern editor of The Irish Times