Orange Order march row goes to heart of ongoing divisions in Northern Ireland

The Drumcree parade dispute in Portadown is a clash of political cultures.

The Orange Order is a Protestant pro-British organisation. The area where it wants to walk is largely Catholic, and predominantly inhabited by pro-Irish nationalists.

This dispute over a piece of road is not just a local problem. It has the potential to affect other parts of Northern Ireland and the power-sharing arrangements at Stormont.

“What happens at Drumcree never stays at Drumcree,” was how one retired politician put it.

When the parade dispute first erupted into violence in the mid-1990s, the disorder spread to other places – and almost derailed the peace process.

But while it was never fully resolved, the dispute faded over the next 30 years. Its sudden re-emergence has caught most people by surprise, including many politicians.

What happened was that a legal case was brought to court over the dispute early this summer, re-opening the debate.

The two largest parties in Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), have been on opposite sides of the argument.

Sinn Féin are firmly behind the residents. The DUP fully supports the Orange Order.

They may be partners in the devolved government at Stormont, but when it comes to Drumcree they could not be further apart.

As always in Northern Ireland, the historical context is important.