(Washington D.C.) 09/29/2026
For Immediate Release
The bipartisan Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement has written to the Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Byrant, M.P. regarding the ongoing standoff and negotiations between the Drumcree Orange Order and the residents of the Garvaghy Road.
“We are writing out of concern about the renewed dispute surrounding Drumcree and the Garvaghy Road. Those of us in the United States who have supported the peace process in Northern Ireland over many decades remember all too well the events surrounding Drumcree in the 1990s, the damage they caused to community relations, and the wider consequences when a local dispute became a symbol of division across Northern Ireland. Much has changed in Northern Ireland since then. That progress should not be underestimated, nor should it ever be taken for granted.
We do not presume to take a position on the merits of a particular parade application or on the rights and responsibilities of either the Orange Order or the residents of the Garvaghy Road. Those questions must be addressed through the lawful institutions and processes established in Northern Ireland.
Our concern is with what happens next. The events of recent days demonstrate that a dispute which had been contained for nearly three decades can still mobilize large numbers of people, strain community relations and risk reopening divisions that Northern Ireland has worked extraordinarily hard to overcome. This is why we are encouraged that discussions are taking place under your leadership.
Joe Kennedy III, co-chair of the Ad Hoc Committee stated, “I have visited Northern Ireland many times. The young people growing up today have a new understanding of what it means to live in a modern and prosperous Northern Ireland. Their willingness to engage each other, regardless of tradition, religion or background, is the result of nearly thirty years of peace. This progress must be sustained. If there is a constructive role the Ad Hoc Committee or others in the United States can play in supporting it, we stand ready to help.”
Susan Davis, the co-chair of the Ad Hoc Committee stated, “We have met with the PSNI Chief Constable on several occasions to gain a full understanding of the challenges that come with policing a Northern Ireland still coming to terms with the Troubles and the legacy of the past. We have a great deal of confidence in Chief Constable Boucher’s continued focus on the well-being of victims and his measured approach to the current Drumcree standoff. We strongly support the establishment of a credible mediation process, led by an experienced mediator acceptable to the parties, before another confrontation develops.”
The Good Friday Agreement was never based on the expectation that deeply held differences would disappear. Its achievement was to provide a way of addressing those differences through democratic institutions, respect for differing traditions, dialogue, compromise and the rule of law rather than confrontation. More importantly, the memory of the three Quinn brothers places an extra duty on all parties to find a solution that is lasting.
Drumcree, today, should be approached in that same spirit. The responsibility for finding a resolution rests with the parties themselves, with support from the institutions of Northern Ireland and the British and Irish governments. There has been nearly thirty years of progress. This should give everyone involved both perspective and incentive to find an agreed way forward.
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Ad Hoc Press Contact: Kevin Sullivan, skjsully33@gmail.com
The Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement was formed in early 2019 by a group of forty Americans who have worked for decades on the Northern Ireland peace process. The Committee is bipartisan and includes five former Ambassadors and two former Special Presidential Envoys. The Committee came together in response to the Brexit negotiations. The Committee actively engaged with key political and community leaders as well as the Irish and British government to protect the GFA. The Committee continues to seek full implementation of the GFA and a resolution of legacy issues.
Those signing our initial letter to Prime Minister Theresa May in February of 2019 included former Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky, U.S. Senator Gary Hart, former Special Presidential Envoy Mitchell Reiss, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, former NSC Advisor Nancy Soderberg, Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley and Ambassador Kevin O’Malley among others.
