THE scale of the strategic disaster inflicted on unionism by the Portadown Orange district during the Drumcree crisis is still unfolding, but by any standards it has been a momentous few days.

Nationalism has suddenly been both united and galvanised, and there is every prospect that further consequences will emerge during the next Assembly election which is scheduled for May.

International attention has also been focussed on Irish issues in a way which has not happened for many years, with discussions on the timescale for a possible unity referendum given a new impetus.

It could all have been very different if the Portadown Orangemen had accepted last month’s ruling on their proposed Garvaghy Road demonstration as a significant symbolic victory for their side, rather than some kind of urgent imperative.

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They could have presented the decision by Secretary of State Chris Bryant to instigate an official review of the decision-making processes and organisational governance of the Parades Commission – a body they have always loathed – as a major gain, and simply waited for Mr Justice O’Hara to deliver his findings.

The Orange institution generally would then have been in a much stronger position when making its various........

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