Parades Commission Upholds Castlederg Decision

The Parades Commission says it will not review its decision to allow an IRA memorial march through Castlederg in County Tyrone, despite opposition from unionists.

The march will take place 40 years after the deaths of IRA men Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn, who were killed when a car bomb they were transporting to the town detonated early.

The Commission ruled that the parade planned for this Sunday can go ahead, but has placed restrictions that mean it will not be allowed to proceed around the Diamond area or past a war memorial.

Only notified bands will be allowed to take part and paramilitary trappings will not be allowed.

The move follows requests from unionist organisations and the DUP and UUP to ban the march outright.

The Parades Commission said: "As standard practice, the Commission may review any determination - but only if there is fresh information to consider.

"On this occasion, the Commission has concluded that none of the requests contained sufficient new information to justify a review."

The DUP has called on Secretary of State Theresa Villiers to voice her opposition to the parade publicly, following an interview with the Belfast telegraph in which she said she regretted not openly opposing the naming of a park in Newry after IRA hunger striker Raymond McCreesh.

Enterprise Minister and DUP MLA Arlene Foster said: "The Secretary of State was right to acknowledge that the naming of a children's play park after a terrorist was wrong and ill-judged.

"Whilst the Secretary of State has acknowledged that the McCreesh Park decision was unhelpful for community relations, surely she should similarly acknowledge that this weekend’s commemoration parade in Castlederg is equally unhelpful. The PIRA murdered 29 people in the Castlederg area. This parade will actually pass the spot where two of those shootings occurred.

"The Secretary of State holds a position of leadership and should exercise that role for the betterment of community relations in the Province. I trust she will join with me in calling for the organisers of this parade to cancel the event and recognise it is grossly insensitive to victims."

A protest by the Derg Valley Victims' Voice has been permitted for the duration of the Castlederg parade.

(IT/CD)