Ahern in last-ditch effort

Irish Prime Minister to Discuss Parade with Blair

The Irish Foreign Minister, Ray Burke, and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, are also taking part in the meeting.

Mo Mowlam discusses the crisis over the Drumcree march on BBC's Today programme

Mr Ahern, who's been in office less than a week, has appealed to the Government not to force through Sunday's Orange Order march in Drumcree in the face of Catholic opposition. His appeal angered Unionist politicians, but aides of the Irish Prime Minister have insisted he will stick to his position at the London talks.

The Government says no decision has yet been taken on whether to allow the march to go ahead, despite widespread fears that it could lead to violence.

Ms Mowlam on Wednesday met residents of the predominantly Catholic Garvaghy Road area of Portadown where the Orangemen intend to route the march.

Mowlam: no decision yet on march

"I will remain hopeful to the end," said Ms Mowlam. "I refuse to give up and I will keep talking to both sides."

A spokesman for the Garvaghy Road residents, Brendan McKenna, said he was confident that he would be told of the Secretary of State's decision before the weekend. But he insisted he had no idea whether she would let the march go ahead.

Garvaghy residents have been planning roadside pickets. They say they have been told by police they cannot hold a street festival on the day of the parade.

Mr McKenna said the police decision was ominous: "The Secretary on State said no decision had been made, but the RUC have already taken one decision in relation to this Sunday by preventing our festival."

Eames: Appeals for calm
The Archbishop tells the BBC of his concerns about violence

Amid the tension, the Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, has appealed for calm, saying Northern Ireland cannot be allowed to face a repeat of the violence of last summer.

He said he was encouraged by statements from both sides that they did not to take action outside the law.

But he warned: "The responsibility on all who encourage public demonstrations is grave and cannot be ignored. There were "those elements in society only too ready to manipulate public demonstrations in ways which will provoke violence."

Worship must not be an excuse to demonstrate in ways which further divided society, Dr Eames said.

It was immediately condemned by both sides in the dispute, and by the Government.

A spokesman for the Ulster Unionist Party, Ken Maginnis, laid part of the blame for the worsening tension at the door of the Irish government. Referring to the LVF threat, Mr Maginnis said: "Sadly much of the aggravation which has led to this unacceptable declaration lies at the feet of Bertie Ahern and Ray Burke, whose utterances have been more than unhelpful insofar as they imply a threat against the Unionist tradition."

The Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams, has said that the Drumcree march is a test for Tony Blair to prove that his handling of Northern Ireland is different to John Major's. In an article in Wednesday's Irish News, Mr Adams argued that the Orangemen had a right to march, but not through Catholic districts. He wrote: "Mr Blair's government must not behave as the Major government did...It would say to nationalists that unionists rule, whether it is on the streets or at the negotiating table."

The Orange Order insist that their intentions are peaceful and that they have already made proposals to break the deadlock. John McCrea, secretary of the Orange Order Grand Lodge of Ireland, said only Portadown Orangmen would be allowed to take part in the parade from Drumcree parish church. He added: "They will only play hymn tunes on Sunday, but on that stretch of the Garvaghy Road they will not play at all."