Orange Order parade held at north Belfast interface

An Orange Order parade at an interface in north Belfast has passed off without incident.

Some members and one band marched past the Ardoyne shops on Sunday morning.

The area has been a flashpoint for parading tensions which have led to violent confrontations in previous years.

The Parades Commission had granted permission for the march to go ahead but with some restrictions.

It assembled at Woodvale Parade at about 08:30 BST before moving along Woodvale Road and Crumlin Road towards Ligoniel Orange Hall.

Organisers had said the march represented the “homeward” part of their Twelfth of July parade.

The commission barred evening return parades from passing the Ardoyne shops on Saturday.

It permitted the Sunday plans, but with conditions such as only hymn music being played past the shops and no accompanying supporters on that part of the route.

The commission said it had received some objections to the morning parade which warned it would “harm community relations”.

A few people observed the march but there were no formal protests organised.

There was a policing presence in the area as the parade took place.

Fr Gary Donegan, who observed the march, said there had been a “certain anxiousness” in the area.

But he added: “It seems actually what the community has done is ignore it and if it passes by then we can just get on to Sunday.”

Encouraging dialogue on parading disputes, he added: “The more people talk, the less likelihood there’s going to be adverse responses.”

The area of the Crumlin Road is an interface between mainly unionist and nationalist communities.

In the past it was one of Northern Ireland’s most contentious parading routes, with years of protests, violence and disorder.

A deal was stuck in 2016 which sees a number of morning parades held each year.

But the agreement broke down in 2024, raising concerns of further tensions.