Loyalist Band Cannot Pass Belfast Catholic Church

A loyalist band that was filmed playing outside a Catholic Church in Belfast on the twelfth of July have been told they cannot walk past the same church on another parade next week.

The Parades Commission has banned the Young Conway Volunteers band from marching past St Patrick’s Church on Donegall Street next Saturday.

It comes after the Shankill Road-based band were filmed walking in circles around the church on July 12, and said they had stopped there by "pure chance".

The band denied playing the Famine Song, an anti-Irish song to the tune of the Beach Boys' Sloop John B, that replaces the chorus "I feel so broke up, I wanna go home" with the line "The famine is over, why don't you go home?"

In its ruling, the Parades Commission said the band had been "the subject of recent speculation concerning behaviour" that had had a negative impact on community relations in the area.

The 32 other bands taking part in the City of Belfast Grand Black Chapter march are restricted to playing a single drum beat while passing the church.

(NE)