Priest calls for parades to be confined to “own area”

Posted By: July 29, 2022

IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING

Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus

Priest calls for parades to be confined to “own area

FR. SEAN Mc MANUS

 By Roisin Henderson. Fermanagh Herald. Thursday, July 28, 2022                  

r.henderson@fermanaghherald.com

A HUMAN rights campaigner has demanded that Orange Order parades be confined to their own areas in order to prevent violent clashes taking place.

Fermanagh native, Fr Sean McManus – who is President of the Irish National Caucus in Washington DC – said that parades themselves were fine as long as the residents of the area where the marching was taking place did not feel offended.

Parade routing has long been a contentious issue with the Orange Order insisting that they have the right to march through public areas while residents in nationalist areas say such gatherings are designed to intimidate them.

Speaking on radio station Ocean FM, Fr McManus stated that he himself did not see the purpose of “parading for provocation.”

He said: “I would say guys, for God’s sake. Stop parading unless it is in your own area. Unfortunately, there has been a long history in the north of the Orange Order trying to march down roads and streets where they are not wanted – often followed by violence and disrespect.”