Parade will not pass site of McDaid murder

The Parades Commission ruled on Thursday that marchers should not go past the place where the 49-year-old was murdered in a sectarian attack.

The Catholic father-of-four was killed in the Somerset Drive area in May 2009 and his friend Damien Fleming was badly injured.

The parade, which will take place on the evening of July 1, has been organised by LOL No 735 Invincible True Blues.

According to Parades Commission website there will be one band and 120 participants.

Robert McIlreavy from Killowen Orange Lodge said it was "disappointing".

"It is a bit disappointing considering the massive steps that the local lodge and community association took to try and get everything back to normality," he said.

"We thought we had done enough last year to lower tensions."

DUP MLA Adrian McQuillan said while he was "disappointed" the parade was not being allowed to go down Somerset Drive, "he was happy that the whole district is this year being allowed to march down Laurel Avenue, a few streets over from Killowen".

SDLP MLA for the area John Dallat, who gave evidence to the Parades Commission on Wednesday, welcomed the decision.

He said: "This is a good decision which acknowledges the need to do a great deal of work at local level to heal the hurt of the past and develop a strategy that takes contention out of these parades.

"In my presentation to the Parades Commission I acknowledged the work done by clergymen and others to heal the hurt of the past and move on.

"However, I told them with all sincerity that a great deal more needs to be done to create the conditions where that good work would not be undermined by the impact of this parade."

Mr Dallat said the local Orange Order has an important part to play in this process and should acknowledge and accept that role.