Residents have appealed to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to intervene to try to prevent a repetition of last year's violence on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. At a meeting with representatives from the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (Co Armagh) and the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community (Belfast) yesterday in Government Buildings, the Taoiseach said it was "vital for the stability of Northern Ireland that the parades issue is properly managed in an open and fair manner".
The residents' groups warned that the Orange Order's parade in Drumcree was likely to be a focal point for campaigners who opposed the Belfast Agreement.
In the Dail earlier the Taoiseach said it would be a terrible tragedy if the achievements of the agreement were wrecked by a summer of violence over the parades.
Urging the residents' groups and the Orange Order to meet and attempt to reach an accommodation, he said: "If we could have some dialogue, some discussion, it would open up the possibility at least of seeking some compromise".
Before the meeting with Mr Ahern, an Independent councillor, Mr Brendan Mac Cionnaith, who was joined by Mr Gerard Rice from the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community, said it was too early to say if nationalists from elsewhere would travel to the Garvaghy Road to oppose the march.
"There has been a lot of interest from areas. You only have to look back at what happened in 1996 and the overwhelming feeling of solidarity and support from the nationalist community," he said.
While it would be easy to mobilise this level of backing, Mr Mac Cionnaith declined to comment on speculation that nationalists from all over Ireland would be invited to travel to Portadown in solidarity with the residents on the Garvaghy Road.
He called on the local MP, Mr David Trimble, to have talks with the residents in order to reach an accommodation on the marching issue.
According to Mr Rice, the Orange Order must accept the fact that the days of trampling over the rights of other people were over. Residents were willing to have unconditional discussions with the order, but there was a clear political alliance between the Orange Order and anti-agreement unionist politicians.
Mr Ahern said he hoped "that all those involved will approach this issue in the spirit of the agreement that has just been endorsed by the people. They have shown clearly they want an end to confrontation and I would urge all involved to work to reach an accommodation."