Breandán Mac Cionnaith

So everything basically is on a standstill here until an outcome from the Hillsborough talks comes later this evening.

Those talks began sometime around five o'clock and Brendan McKenna, the local residents leader, will be coming back to Garvahy Road to brief residents probably around nine or maybe sometime thereafter, depending on the progress of what happens in Hillsborough.

It's a mess, Mark, isn't it? I was reading your piece earlier.

There's no easy way forward on this that gives a kind of a clear path.

Has there been any progress?

Well, there was one round of getting people into a room yesterday in Hillsborough, and that's going to resume today with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Bryant, talking separately to the Garvahy Road residents led by Brendan McKenna, Sinn Féin, the political parties.

the Orange Order.

Now, they're not all together, so there's no round table of any kind.

So we've seen the Orange Order delegation go in first, along with their legal representative, Jamie Bryson.

And then more recently, the Gervachy Residence Association with Brendan McKenna and their legal representation, Darren Mackin, has went into Hillsborough as well.

And they're going to have fairly intensive talks.

with the Secretary of State, who was in Liverpool this morning at the Labour Party conference, but has flown back in to try and deal with this ongoing crisis.

What? I said no negotiations, right? You know what? No, me.

Mr McKenna, is there anything I can reasonably say or do to you today to open negotiations or speak with you about this? No, no, no, because these

aren't thrusted.

Is there anything I can read? No, no.

Thank you.

Pallar Tobain arrived, the AN2 leader, at one point in mid-afternoon, and the police gold, or bronze commander, started speaking to him.

The negotiators came over, they were speaking to him, and Brendan McKenna, as many of you will know, the Garrahy Road residence spokesperson, he came over and says to Pallar Tobain, get away from there, you have no right to be talking to them on our behalf, and we're not negotiating with them.

He said, no, get away from them, and the seat was out of the way.

And twice they walked down to the lines of the protest and said, is there anyone here we can speak to? And they were told basically to take themselves off that nobody wanted to speak to them.

What? I said no negotiations, right? You know what it now means? Mr McKenna, is there anything I can reasonably say or do to you today to open negotiations or speak with you about this trade? No, no, no, because

it's aren't thrusted.

Is

Pallard O'Bain arrived, two leader at one point in mid-afternoon and the police gold or bronze commander started speaking to him.

The negotiators came over, they were speaking to him.

And Brendan McKenna, who many of you will know, the Garrahy Road residence spokesperson, he came over and says to Padraig Tobin, get away from there.

You have no right to be talking to them on our behalf and we're not negotiating with them.

There is still the ability to ensure that this parade is completed and that the rule of law is maintained.

I understand having been talking to Portadown Orange men that the Secretary of State will now meet with both Brendan McKenna but also with Portadown Orange men.

And we made clear in our meeting with the Secretary of State yesterday, there's a clear point of the rule of law being upheld

and he has a duty to do that.

Well, the Garvahy Road protesters had dispersed around midnight or shortly thereafter.

Brendan McKenna, the local residents leader, said that there would be talks that they'd received commitments, that there would be no attempt to force through the march, etc.

And then people, pretty much exhausted after the last few days, went to bed, where I suspect many of them currently are.

And we'll now have a situation later today where McKenna and others will meet with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Chris Bryant.