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SDLP councillor Máiría Cahill to attend the Co Tyone Royal Black Insititution parade and dinner

Mairia Cahill said attending the parade will be `an opportunity to embrace different cultural traditions in the north'. Picture by Hugh Russell
Mairia Cahill said attending the parade will be `an opportunity to embrace different cultural traditions in the north'. Picture by Hugh Russell Mairia Cahill said attending the parade will be `an opportunity to embrace different cultural traditions in the north'. Picture by Hugh Russell

SDLP councillor Máiría Cahill is to attend the Co Tyrone Royal Black Insititution parade and dinner today "in the spirit of reconciliation".

Ms Cahill, whose grandfather Joe Cahill was a prominent figure in theProvisional IRA, said it will be "an opportunity to embrace different cultural traditions in the north".

The Lisburn and Castlereagh representative will attend the return leg of the `Last Saturday' parade in Cookstown before being a guest at a dinner hosted by the Royal Black in Clogher.

Ms Cahill was co-opted onto the council last month after joining the SDLP.

Demonstrations by around 350 preceptories with accompanying bands will take place at Newtownards, Larne, Ballymena, Cookstown, Donemana and Limavady.

A Royal Black spokesman said the nationalist councillor had accepted the "personal invitation of an individual member".

"All of our processions are public events, and anyone is welcome to attend," he said.

"I was pleasantly surprised to receive the invite from the Royal Black Institution to attend a dinner in Co Tyrone this Saturday," Ms Cahill said.

"Upon taking up the seat in Lisburn and Castlereagh Borough Council I made a commitment to reach across traditional divides and work for all constituents no matter class or creed. It is for this reason that I chose to accept the invitation.

"Our political impasse has unfortunately exacerbated old fault lines and divisions. Therefore, it is imperative that those of us committed to making politics work for all citizens take every opportunity to reach out to one another."