Tour Of The North Feeder Parade Banned from Crumlin Road at Ardoyne Shops

[picador]

The Irish News (sorry no link) is reporting that the Parades Commission will prevent Ballysillan Orangemen from parading past Ardoyne shops during next Friday evening's contentious Tour of the North parade, which takes in a number of districts in north Belfast. It's been rumoured for some time locally that dissident republicans would exploit the controversial feeder parade to create confrontation similar to that which occured on Twelfth July last when dissidents opened fire on the PSNI and the police fired plastic bullets at rioting nationalist youths.

Leading north Belfast Orangeman Tommy Cheevers (who ironically was once a member of the Parades Commission) was reported to be very annoyed at the decision and suggested that loyalists would be protesting against it.

Last week a senior PSNI officer called on local politicians to show leadership on the issue of contentious parades in the area. In view of Mr Cheever's stated intention not to accept the PC's determination the stance of North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds, who usually takes part in the Tour of the North, could be crucial if trouble is to be averted.

Is this the spark which kindles a fire there could be no putting out? Or should Orangemen accept the determination and enjoy the rest of their parade? Over to you, Doddsy! And to your cultural colleague, Nelson McCausland!

[TrueBlue84]

The Irish News (sorry no link) is reporting that the Parades Commission will prevent Ballysillan Orangemen from parading past Ardoyne shops during next Friday evening's contentious Tour of the North parade, which takes in a number of districts in north Belfast. It's been rumoured for some time locally that dissident republicans would exploit the controversial feeder parade to create confrontation similar to that which occured on Twelfth July last when dissidents opened fire on the PSNI and the police fired plastic bullets at rioting nationalist youths.

Leading north Belfast Orangeman Tommy Cheevers (who ironically was once a member of the Parades Commission) was reported to be very annoyed at the decision and suggested that loyalists would be protesting against it.

Last week a senior PSNI officer called on local politicians to show leadership on the issue of contentious parades in the area. In view of Mr Cheever's stated intention not to accept the PC's determination the stance of North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds, who usually takes part in the Tour of the North, could be crucial if trouble is to be averted.

Is this the spark which kindles a fire there could be no putting out? Or should Orangemen accept the determination and enjoy the rest of their parade? Over to you, Doddsy! And to your cultural colleague, Nelson McCausland!

Personally from what I have read, perhaps in the newsletter, this parade isnt traditional (usually alternate years and they marched last year so shouldnt this year) and therefore I am happy enough that it is banned especially in the current climate with the dissos itching to get some orange blood on their hands

[Cruimh]

Listen carefully and you'll hear screams of disappointment and outrage from Ardoyne - that's summer spoilt for them

[Figaroni]

Listen carefully and you'll hear screams of disappointment and outrage from Ardoyne - that's summer spoilt for them

Sorry to rain on your 'parade', my sister lives on Ardoyne Road and she wasn't screaming in disappointment, sheer relief would be more like it. These Parades are clearly not wanted in this area, with their UVF 'marshals', hostile police saturation and raising of tension. Thank God its been banned.

[damon]

I read this article by the Orange Order yesterdy about The Tour of The North, and then went for a walk up there to look at the roads mentioned in the piece.

Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland Grand Orange Lodge

It's a pretty sad looking situation and I really can't see why people need to go stirring it in an area that clearly looks troubled.
I couldn't see why the houses shown in the picture were vandalised and empty. They are most definitely on the protestant side of a peace wall, so I'm guessing that they might have been attacked by stuff being thrown over it.

But the catholic houses on the othe rside of the wall at Mannor street also showed signs of attack. The tiles on the roof of some catholic houses clearly showed signs of being attacked as they were a missmatch of old and new, and when I walked around there into Rosevale Street I asked someone and they confirmed that that's what happens sometimes.

Dear oh dear, what a pointless state of affairs.
I think Catholics should call the Orangemens bluff so to speak and let them march and even wave little union jacks and Ulster flags just for fun.
Put a banner over the road saying ''Welcome Tour of the North'' or something.

Isn't there anyone in a leadership position in the nationalist community who might suggest such a thing?

[picador]

Listen carefully and you'll hear screams of disappointment and outrage from Ardoyne - that's summer spoilt for them

The dissoes will be disappointed. Ordinary people will be relieved.

[picador]

I read this article by the Orange Order yesterdy about The Tour of The North, and then went for a walk up there to look at the roads mentioned in the piece.

Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland Grand Orange Lodge

It's a pretty sad looking situation and I really can't see why people need to go stirring it in an area that clearly looks troubled.
I couldn't see why the houses shown in the picture were vandalised and empty. They are most definitely on the protestant side of a peace wall, so I'm guessing that they might have been attacked by stuff being thrown over it.

But the catholic houses on the othe rside of the wall at Mannor street also showed signs of attack. The tiles on the roof of some catholic houses clearly showed signs of being attacked as they were a missmatch of old and new, and when I walked around there into Rosevale Street I asked someone and they confirmed that that's what happens sometimes.

Dear oh dear, what a pointless state of affairs.
I think Catholics should call the Orangemens bluff so to speak and let them march and even wave little union jacks and Ulster flags just for fun.
Put a banner over the road saying ''Welcome Tour of the North'' or something.

Isn't there anyone in a leadership position in the nationalist community who might suggest such a thing?

Sorry but Manor St is not the area in question and otherwise your post is hopelessly naive.

[damon]

Sorry but Manor St is not the area in question and otherwise your post is hopelessly naive.

Yes I'm sure I am naive on this issue. I cant see why the Ardoyne shops has to be SUCH a big issue. That's the shops on the Crumlin Road I presume we are talking about, at the roundabout at the top of Woodvale Road, not the shops inside the middle of Ardoyne itself.
Why not just let them march in peace? If they do want to then push up from the unionist lower Oldpark area up to Cliftonville Road then I can see why it might be resented - but there would be much less fuss if people just let them get on with it IMO.

[picador]

Yes I'm sure I am naive on this issue. I cant see why the Ardoyne shops has to be SUCH a big issue. That's the shops on the Crumlin Road I presume we are talking about, at the roundabout at the top of Woodvale Road, not the shops inside the middle of Ardoyne itself.
Why not just let them march in peace? If they do want to then push up from the unionist lower Oldpark area up to Cliftonville Road then I can see why it might be resented - but there would be much less fuss if people just let them get on with it IMO.

The parade you mention (along Cliftonpark Avenue) was banned years ago and not before time.

The reason a loyalist parade on a Friday evening in summer past the staunchest and most-densely populated republican area in north Belfast is contentious is because, well it inevitably casues trouble.

A morning parade such as occurs on the Twelfth is achievable (with difficulty) but an evening parade, such as the Tour of the North or the 'return parade' on the Twelfth, is more or less a guarantee of confrontation. Alcohol, interfaces and parades are a highly-combustible combination.

That this one has been banned means there should be less tension in the district in the run up to the Twelfth.

[damon]

What's the route then?
I thought the point of it was to try to ''join up'' islands of the Loyalist diaspora who had become somewhat isolated by sectarian geography in that area of North Belfast.
I can't help but be reminded of this map though.

http://wmmbb.files.wordpress.com/200...r-republic.png