Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant is planning further talks with community leaders on Wednesday regarding the controversial Drumcree march. This follows a fresh legal bid issued on Tuesday by lawyers for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition to prevent the march from proceeding.
The Orange Order's permitted parade was due to take place on Sunday, with members intending to walk down the mainly-nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The residents' appeal represents the latest challenge to the march, which received approval after three separate legal hearings on Saturday and into Sunday morning.
Both the Orange Order and members of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition met Sir Chris Bryant at Hillsborough Castle on Tuesday. Breandán Mac Cionnaith, from the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition, stated on his way into talks, "reroute the sectarian parade, that's it." In contrast, Portadown District Master Nigel Dawson described his separate meeting with the Secretary of State as "positive and constructive."
A group of Orange Order members had remained at the church since Sunday, making several attempts to start the march. However, by early Wednesday morning, no members were present at the church for the first time since the standoff began. An attempt by Portadown District Lodge to walk the route on Tuesday evening was denied by police.