The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ms Mary Freehill, has been invited to visit Portadown to witness the problems faced by nationalists in the Co Armagh town.
The invitation to the Lord Mayor came from the Sinn Fein MLA for Upper Bann, Dr Dara O'Hagan, who met Ms Freehill when the Lord Mayor was visiting Monaghan on council business. The meeting between the Lord Mayor and Dr O'Hagan had been arranged by the Sinn Fein grouping on Monaghan council, because of Ms Freehill's involvement with the planned Orange Order march in Dublin. The Sinn Fein council group asked the Upper Bann MLA to highlight the views of nationalists on the Garvaghy Road. During the Monaghan meeting the Lord Mayor also met representatives of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition. The residents asked Ms Freehill to meet with them at a later date, which she agreed to do.