Noel Gallagher, Susan Sarandon and Paul Weller among signatories backing Garvaghy Road residents

Tuesday 06 October 2026

Almost 50 prominent figures from the worlds of music, film, television, literature and the arts have signed an open letter backing Garvaghy Road residents and calling for an independent international mediator to help resolve the continuing Portadown parading dispute.

The letter, sent to Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant at 3.30pm on Tuesday, includes Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher, Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon, The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, Paul Weller, Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar and all three members of Belfast rap group Kneecap among its signatories.

It follows the failure of several days of talks involving the British Government, Garvaghy Road residents and the Orange Order to produce an agreement. The latest legal challenge by residents is also continuing, with the Court of Appeal reserving judgment on Monday and saying it hoped to deliver its decision swiftly.

Call for international mediator

Addressed directly to Sir Chris, the open letter says the breakdown of recent talks at Hillsborough Castle demonstrated the need for what its signatories describe as a “fresh, independent framework”.

It urges the Secretary of State to work with the Irish Government to appoint “an independent international mediator from outside Ireland and Britain” with experience of deeply rooted cultural conflicts.

The signatories write:

“The current stand-off serves as a stark reminder of the fragile nature of our shared peace. We must collectively reflect on the extraordinary legacy of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which established the foundational principles of mutual respect, dialogue, and cross-community parity of esteem.”

They add:

“Over the last twenty-eight years, the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland has allowed an entire generation to grow up free from the anguish and violence of the past. To allow old wounds to be aggressively reopened risks destabilising community relations not only in Portadown but across society in the North.”

Residents must be protected says letter

The letter places the experience of Garvaghy Road residents at the centre of its appeal, referring to the trauma and disruption experienced during the parading disputes of the 1990s.

It states:

“After nearly three decades of hard-earned calm, it is entirely unacceptable that this community should face a return to that anxiety. It is paramount that the residents be robustly protected from any form of forced processions that disregard their consent, safety, and right to live in peace free from intimidation.”

The intervention comes after the Parades Commission permitted 35 Orangemen, without a band or supporters, to parade along Garvaghy Road on 27 September. The march has not proceeded amid protests and a major policing operation.

The letter argues that an international mediator could “lower the political temperature, restore public confidence in the mediation framework, and protect the wider peace process from staring into an avoidable abyss”.

It concludes:

“We cannot afford to step backward. We urge you to exercise courageous political leadership at this critical juncture by looking to the international community for a neutral arbiter who can guide all sides toward a shared, peaceful future.”

Major names from film and television

Among the best-known signatories is American actor Susan Sarandon, whose career includes an Academy Award for Dead Man Walking, alongside Irish actor Adrian Dunbar, widely known for his role in Line of Duty.

Derry Girls actor Siobhán McSweeney, Maxine Peake, Denise Gough, Billy Howle, Juliet Stevenson, Tony Devlin and Lisa Dwan have also added their names.

Three major film directors — Jim Sheridan, Terry George and Ken Loach — are signatories, alongside filmmaker and journalist Trevor Birney and director and DJ Don Letts.

Music stars add their support

The music industry accounts for a substantial number of those backing the letter, including Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr and Paul Weller.

They are joined by Madness frontman Graham “Suggs” McPherson, Dexys singer Kevin Rowland, The Clash bassist Paul Simonon, The Pogues’ Spider Stacy, Bananarama and Shakespears Sister singer Siobhan Fahey and Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja.

Irish singers Imelda May and Frances Black are also signatories, alongside Aoife Scott, Nadine Shah and the three members of Kneecap — Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí. The involvement of Gallagher, Sarandon, Marr, Weller, Dunbar, McSweeney and Kneecap was also reported on Tuesday by The Irish News.

Full list of signatories

• Jim Sheridan — film director, screenwriter and producer

• Terry George — film director, screenwriter and producer

• Ken Loach — film director, screenwriter and producer

• Trevor Birney — film director, producer and journalist

• Don Letts — film director and disc jockey

• Adrian Dunbar — actor

• Susan Sarandon — actor

• Maxine Peake — actor

• Siobhán McSweeney — actor

• Denise Gough — actor

• Billy Howle — actor

• Juliet Stevenson — actor

• Tony Devlin — actor

• Lisa Dwan — actor

• Irvine Welsh — writer and screenwriter

• Ronan Bennett — writer and screenwriter

• Paul Laverty — writer and screenwriter

• Jim Fitzpatrick — artist

• Sara O’Neill — artist and fashion designer

• Chris Sullivan — artist

• Richard Corrigan — chef patron

• Michael Mansfield — barrister

• Eddie Dempsey — General Secretary of the RMT

• Mick Lynch — former General Secretary of the RMT

• Paul Weller — singer and musician, The Jam and The Style Council

• Kevin Rowland — singer and musician, Dexys Midnight Runners

• Sean Read — musician, Dexys Midnight Runners

• Spider Stacy — singer and musician, The Pogues

• Graham “Suggs” McPherson — singer and musician, Madness

• Noel Gallagher — singer and musician, Oasis and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

• Johnny Marr — singer and musician, The Smiths, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The Pretenders and The The

• Siobhan Fahey — singer, Bananarama and Shakespears Sister

• Paul Simonon — musician, The Clash

• Imelda May — singer

• Frances Black — singer and politician

• Aoife Scott — singer

• Davie Fury — singer and musician

• Nadine Shah — singer

• Mo Chara — rapper, Kneecap

• Móglaí Bap — rapper, Kneecap

• DJ Próvaí — rapper, Kneecap

• Robert Del Naja — musician, Massive Attack

• Neil Martin — musician and composer

• Michael Timothy — musician and composer

• Dan Lambert — music manager

• Alan McGee — music industry executive

• Jeff Barrett — music industry executive

• Kevin Gamble — director of Féile an Phobail

Nelson welcomes intervention

Sinn Féin Councillor Catherine Nelson welcomed the letter, saying the names attached to it demonstrated that support for Garvaghy Road residents extended beyond Ireland.

She said:

“This letter sends a clear message that support for the Garvaghy Road community extends far beyond this island.

“Among the signatories are some of the biggest names in music, film and the arts. Their intervention is a further indication that people across Ireland and internationally recognise the right of the Garvaghy Road community to live in peace, free from intimidation.

“The British Secretary of State must act now and stop this unwanted march. Twenty-eight years of peace in this community must be protected.

“There is no going back. Not now. Not ever.”

The immediate dispute remains unresolved.

Following Monday’s Court of Appeal hearing, three judges reserved their decision on the residents’ challenge to the Parades Commission determination, with Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan saying the court hoped to deliver its ruling within a swift timeframe but giving no specific date.