Court of Appeal overturns injunction halting Drumcree parade in Portadown

September 26, 2026 at 04:07 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Court of Appeal in Belfast overturned a High Court injunction that had halted Sunday's Drumcree parade in Portadown. The ruling came after an emergency late-night hearing following a challenge by an Orange Order member. A large crowd gathered on Garvaghy Road after the decision, while Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called the development a disgrace.

Key Facts

The Court of Appeal overturned a High Court injunction that had halted the Drumcree parade along Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
The injunction was issued by Judge Patricia Smyth after Portadown District Orange Lodge declined her request to postpone the parade.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the Court of Appeal's decision as a disgrace.
Stormont First Minister Michelle O'Neill said there is no going back and Sinn Féin stands fully with the Garvaghy Road community.
The parade had been given permission to go ahead along Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost three decades, with restrictions in place.

Court Rulings

The Court of Appeal overturned a ban on Orangemen marching through a largely nationalist part of Northern Ireland on Sunday. The court also approved a request for the case to be heard tonight by a different High Court judge. Judge Patricia Smyth issued the injunction after Portadown District Orange Lodge declined her request to postpone the parade until all issues were properly considered. The temporary injunction would apply until the judicial review application could be properly determined.

Community Reaction

A large crowd gathered on the Garvaghy Road in the wake of the Appeal judges' ruling. Breandan Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition said there is no such thing as justice or rights for our community. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the latest development as a disgrace. Stormont First Minister Michelle O'Neill said our message tonight is clear: there is no going back, not tomorrow, not ever.

Legal Challenge

The High Court review was based on the PSNI's risk assessment to the Parades Commission. Lawyer Denise Kiley KC for the residents told the court hearing that much remains uncertain in the wake of the ruling. She claimed that nowhere in the PSNI's contribution to the commission was there any assessment of future risk and was entirely directed to past risk.