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Drumcree!
THE DRUMCREE STORY : (Pictures below)
In July 1995, members of the Orange Order in Portadown were prevented from walking from their church down the Garvaghy road into Portadown. They had walked to this church and back to the town every year since 1807. This was a serious infringement of civil liberties that effectively meant that Protestants were excluded from an area of their town. They were forced into a specific area, and prevented from the freedom of their town by police, backed up by the military.
The Orange members were told of the ban on their freedom of movement by the "Back then known as the R.U.C " (Ulster police). The reason for this they said was 'a new element on the road'. The new element understood to mean the terrorist group, the IRA, who were responsible for the murder of hundreds of Protestants. The ban showed that the government was prepared to deny the civil rights of a section of the community rather than defend them against terrorists. In protest at the ban, the Orange members stayed on the hill promising that they would stay there until their rights were restored to them.
In the event the Orange Order gained massive support from their members and Protestants right across Ulster who understood the reality of the anti-Protestant hatred they faced. Almost a week after the ban was put in place, it was lifted in the light of public support that had been shown. The Orange members then returned home from church, one week later than they had originally planned. This freedom was not to last however and the walk was once again banned the following year. At present the Portadown Orangemen have been protesting on Drumcree hill for a number of years.
Contrary to popular belief, violence and opposition against Orange Order parades in the Garvaghy road area did not begin in 1995. There were previous disturbance between 1985 and 1987 and agreement was reached at this time. In 1995 that agreement was broken, deliberately so as it came against a background of wider antagonism against the Loyalist community, for example a widespread arson campaign on Orange halls.
The annual parade to Drumcree parish church, is almost as old as the Orange Order itself. The walk begins in the town centre to the little country church, an idyllic rural setting for Sunday worship. Particularly the Drumcree memorial service.
Although the entire route at one time was a country lane from the church to Portadown centre, the contentious Garvaghy Road developed into a residential area in the 1960's.
The parades controversy, which erupted in 1985 was not focused on the Garvaghy road however, but on Obins Street, which is one of the oldest parts of the town. This area like the Garvaghy road was originally mixed in religion, but by 1985 it was entirely Catholic. Protestants were excluded from Obins Street in 1985, but it was understood that they would still be able to use the Garvaghy road as it is the main arterial road into the town.
The prevention of the Drumcree church parade is not an isolated incident though.Much preplanned violence was used against the Orange Order with extensive use of home manufactured weapons. These were much in evidence. One example of an Orange parade by junior members (children) ended in disaster when they were attacked. The parade passed the lower end of the Garvaghy road, an area with many Protestant residents. At this point the junior members were attacked, it is believed to be part of a continuing attempt to widen the pure Irish Nationalist areas and spread the Protestant exclusion zone.
Attacks are perpetrated on all people who use the road who are not identified with Irish nationalism. The best example of this was another attack on children this time returning from school. The children's identity was known to the attackers by their school uniforms. They were forced off their school bus and assaulted.
When the crisis first emerged in 1985 there were eleven parades through the Garvaghy road area. As a compromise the Orange Order reduced those parades from eleven down to one. The annual parade to the Drumcree memorial church service is the only one that remains. This route causes no offence to anyone unless they fundamentally hate Ulster-British culture and people. By virtue of it being a main road there were no houses, which would be close to the parade. The houses along the road were set well back in estate fashion and few front onto the road.
It is important to emphasise that the Drumcree walk was and is a church parade, and because of this, accordion bands provide the music and only hymn tunes are played. The Orange Order has also ensured that in the Drumcree parade only a few banners are carried and that only three bands accompany the parade.
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The Drumcree Church
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A family day out
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An Army man keeping a close eye
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This is what it is over
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A peaceful march
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The march at the church
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