N. IRELAND: LONDONDERRY: PROTESTANT APPRENTICE BOYS MARCH

(8 Aug 1998) Natural Sound

A potentially volatile parade in Northern Ireland has taken place without major incident.

The march by the Protestant Apprentice Boys through Londonderry is the last major event in the Northern Ireland marching season - which earlier this summer saw the deaths of three young Catholics brothers in an arson attack on their home in Ballymoney.

However , there were minor scuffles and angry words in Londonderry.

But the march was more peaceful than in recent years following a deal between the marchers and Catholic residents limiting the parade to just one band.

To the beat of a lone bass drum, about 400 Protestants marched peacefully on Saturday atop Londonderry's medieval walls.

A compromise brokered with Catholics ensured no major confrontations.

Apprentice Boys leaders and Catholic protesters from the city's Bogside district agreed that the march could continue atop the walls as usual, but no bands from outside Londonderry were allowed to circle the Diamond.

Last year Protestants rioted with police in the Diamond, the central square inside the walled town, as the march concluded.

The mood across Northern Ireland shifted from confrontation to compromise in July after a stalemate over another blocked Protestant march led to three young Catholic boys being burned to death by arsonists.

Few Catholics were around Saturday as the Protestants, many in their traditional uniform of crimson vestments, suit and bowler hat, stepped off along the stretch of wall overlooking the Bogside amid mist and drizzling rain.

A handful of Bogside Catholic boys cheered derisively at police and marchers, but no Protestant marchers broke ranks and adult Catholic onlookers remained silent.

Former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten, the chairman of Northern Ireland's new
Policing Commission, looked on as an Apprentice Boys' parade passed by.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I think it happened while everyone was sitting down and taking a step back from the situation, and realizing for the good and for the betterment of the city it was important that an understanding be reached and we were saying continually for quite a while this is what we want to do and we were convinced that 80 percent of the people, especially the nationalist people in this city, did support the right of the Apprentice Boys to hold their celebrations. "
SUPER CAPTION: William Hay, Apprentice Boys spokesman

Sinn Fein representative Dodie McGuinness said she wished a similar approach could have been adopted prior to Drumcree.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Derry has agreed with the accommodation here today and has looked at a march that will hopefully go off peacefully, had we agreed to the same sort of agreement on Garvaghy Road with the Drumcree situation we might not have had two weeks of a standoff."
SUPER CAPTION: Dodie McGuinness

Thirteen senior Apprentice Boys - each representing the original 13 apprentice workers who bolted the city's gates against the forces of Catholic King James II some 310 years ago - planned to lay more memorial wreaths in the Diamond on Saturday afternoon.

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