Donnacha MacNiallais the community activist who rose to prominence opposing Loyal Order parades in Derry has died suddenly.
He was 64.
Mr MacNiallais, a former republican prisoner, became well known in the late 1990s when as chairperson of the Bogside Resident Group he was the public face of opposition to unregulated Apprentice Boys parades through Derry.
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As tensions mounted over the parades Mr MacNiallais pursued the slogan ‘No talk no walk’.
Initially the Apprentice Boys resisted holding talks with the Bogside Residents often citing Mr MacNiallais’s republican credentials as justification.
However, eventually it became clear that opposition to the parades was not going away and the Apprentice Boys sat down for dialogue with Mr MacNiallais and the residents group.
From those talks the blueprint for resolving issues around parades, often known as the Derry model, became widespread.
Donnacha MacNiallais continued working in the Bogside community and was a well known activist in the city.
He is the son of the former Sinn Fein MLA Mary Nellis and is survived by his partner Karen and children.
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