TALKS aimed at resolving the Garvaghy Road dispute ended without a resolution last night, as the stand-off continues into the weekend.
Representatives from the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition (GRRC) and the Orange Order met with Secretary of State Chris Bryant at Hillsborough Castle on Thursday night, but following the conclusion of the talks Mr Bryant said that he thinks "this is the end of these conversations".
"We haven't come to a settled agreement, and it's a shame, but my door remains open," he continued.
Residents were due to be in court on Friday morning with a fresh legal bid to stop the parade, but that has now been pushed back to Monday.
Speaking about the legal bid, the Secretary of State said "we'll have to see how that plays out" but that "the law, in the end, is the law".
Breandán Mac Cionnaith, spokesperson for the GRRC, said that the current process was "done," but that the parties "may want to re-embark upon another process at some stage".
Mr Mac Cionnaith was asked if the road would be blocked if the legal process on Monday failed.
"That's not my decision," he said. "As we have pointed out, there's 4,000 people in our community signed a petition. Those 4,000 people deserve to have their voice heard, and we'll see what goes on that."
Speaking after the conclusion of the talks, the Orange Order's Portadown District Master Nigel Dawson said that "tonight remains as it has been".
"We are in possession of a positive determination issued by the Parades Commission," he said.
"It went through the Court of Appeal and the High Court sat on it and has decided that we have the right to walk down the Garvaghy Road back to Carleton Street Orange Hall, and I would now call on the secretary of state to apply the law."
Meanwhile, a solidarity rally has been organised by the Gaels for Garvaghy at 3.00pm on Saturday on the nationalist stretch of road, calling for people to "show their support" and that there is "no going back."
