Why has the Drumcree dispute returned after almost three decades?
John Manley, political correspondent with The Irish News, explains the history of the Orange Order parade, opposition from Garvaghy Road residents, the major stand-offs of the 1990s and the recent legal challenge involving the Parades Commission.
Fender and John also discuss the competing rights at the centre of the dispute, the involvement of Sinn Féin and unionist politicians, the approach of an Assembly election and whether Drumcree could destabilise Northern Ireland’s political institutions.
This conversation reflects John Manley’s own knowledge, analysis and perspective. The Ireland Podcast has also invited a corresponding conversation exploring Drumcree and Orangeism from a unionist perspective.
Recorded remotely on 29 September 2026.
The Ireland Podcast is a long-form, non-partisan podcast. Recording the island.
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