Ormeau Road: annual flashpoint

Dublin Hears Belfast Residents' Fears

Orangemen are due to pass through the nationalist part of the Ormeau Road on their way to the annual July 12 rally in Belfast, and residents fear they will be forced through in similar fashion to the controversial parade in Portadown, Co Armagh last Sunday.

The Irish Foreign Minister, Ray Burke, said he had left Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, "under no illusions" about Dublin's frustration and dismay at the Portadown decision, when he met her on Tuesday.

He is sympathetic to the concerns of the Ormeau Road residents.

"I will be discussing the whole position with them," he said. "We want to get this particular period of marches out of the way, so that we can get on with the political talks and political solutions.

"There has to be a better way than an annual parade and violence and counter violence. We have to move the process forward so that the Irish people can be asked north and south to vote on long-term solutions to this historical problem."

Mr Burke indicated that there had been hard talking in his meeting with Ms Mowlam about the Portadown decision and subsequent leak of an official briefing document.