The few people who were left on the Garvaghy Road barely bothered to protest. The Orange flags that fluttered belonged not to supporters of the loyal orders but to GAA fans long departed for Croke Park and yesterday's Ulster Final.
The 200 or so Portuguese families who live around here remained at home recovering after a night watching their country playing in the World Cup.
As the two bands and the few hundred marchers made their way past Obins Street, the scene of previous standoffs, and towards St John's Catholic church, there was no hint of the hostility of previous Drumcrees.
A handful of police officers, in regular uniform rather than riot gear, kept watch at the road junction where traditional route met nationalist area amid an atmosphere of total ordinariness.
Breandán Mac Cionnaith, a residents' spokesman, explained the lower than low-key mood.
"The Orange Order applied for 2,000 Orangemen to parade out to Drumcree, then down the Garvaghy Road. Only 400 or so have turned up, so that obviously means that if they're not marching through a Catholic area the majority of the Orange Order don't want to know. Drumcree is a dead issue and it should be allowed to rest in peace."
"It's a dead issue," agreed the SDLP's Dolores Kelly, unwittingly using the same phrase as her Sinn Féin opponent. "A few years ago, several thousand would have paraded here. I understand now that Portadown lodge has under 1,000 members."
At the PSNI barrier blocking the route back to the lodge via Garvaghy Road, the only disgust on display was bowler hatted.
Orange Order spokesman David Jones addressed the thin line of PSNI officers at the barricade in the presence of DUP MP David Simpson, who defeated David Trimble.
"Today we find that our road is blocked by yourselves due to an unelected and unaccountable quango known as the Parades Commission."
Calling for resignations and abolition, Mr Simpson nonetheless indicated a willingness to talk. Of the three parties to the impasse - the commission, the Garvaghy Road residents and the Orange Order - only Portadown District was prepared "to do anything to work towards a just and lasting solution to this problem".
"There is only one way that Portadown District is leaving this hill at Drumcree and that is via Garvaghy Road."
Having etched the note of defiance onto the record, the anthem was sung discordantly and Drumcree ended for another year.