Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr and more sign open letter supporting Garvaghy Road community

Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Paul Simonon, Paul Weller, KNEECAP, Imelda May and more have all signed an open letter supporting the Garvaghy Road community.

"We the undersigned are writing to you with a sense of profound urgency regarding the current impasse surrounding the Garvaghy Road parading dispute in Portadown," reads the letter. "We respectfully urge you to work in tandem with the Irish Government to appoint an independent international mediator from outside Ireland and Britain to facilitate a robust, durable resolution."

The letter goes on to state that recent talks have been unsuccessful, "local mechanisms have exhausted their current utility." And they propose a "fresh, independent framework."

A legal bid against the march was heard at the Court of Appeal in Belfast on October 5. Judges listened to four hours of legal arguments. They did not give a date for a decision, but said they would work to a "swift time frame."

Residents and protesters continue to periodically block the road after more than a week of attempts by the Orange Order to march.

The letter urges officials to consider the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, "which established the foundational principles of mutual respect, dialogue and cross-community parity of esteem."

"To allow old wounds to be aggressively reopened risks destabilising community relations not only in Portadown but across society in the North."

It then asserts that any resolution should centre the "primacy and protection of the local community."

"The residents of the Garvaghy Road endured years of profound trauma, fear and disruption during the height of the parading conflicts in the 1990s ... The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has already explicitly warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences of attempting to force a contentious march through this community."

It once again states that an "international mediator - possessing a proven background in deeply rooted cultural conflicts and entirely unburdened by domestic political pressures - offers a viable path forward."

"We cannot afford to step backward ... We look forward to your response."

Demonstrators are protesting against the controversial decision by the High Court in Belfast to allow 35 members of the Orange Order to walk down the road as part of the Drumcree parade route. The nationalist, catholic area is in Portadown - a predominantly protestant town.

They have not been permitted to walk Garvaghy Road since 1988, due to violence between the Orange Order, security forces and residents. A number of people died as a result of the disputes.

Also on the list of signatures are actors Adrian Dunbar, Susan Sarandon and Maxine Peak, along with more musicians including Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, Bananarama's Siobhan Fahey, The Pogues' Spider Stacy and more.

Beoga, The Mary Wallopers and Huartan recently performed at Garvaghy Road in support of the demonstrations, with KNEECAP also making an appearance.

WOW! 👏🏼

Oasis’s Noel Gallagher
Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon
founder of The Smiths Johnny Marr
legend of music Paul Weller
And actors Siobhán McSweeney and Adrian Dunbar

Have all put their names to a letter supporting the right of Garvaghy Road residents to live in peace free from intimidation.

The celebrities have called for the Garvaghy Road community to be protected from any form of forced march.

The full list of signatories includes some of the biggest names in music, film and the arts.

Support for the Garvaghy Road community continues to grow across Ireland and around the world.

The British Secretary of State needs to end this unwanted march now.

28 years of peace must be protected.

No going back.

Not now. Not ever.

— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) October 6, 2026