Security in Derry was tight this afternoon as up to 15,000 loyalists marched through the city.
Members of the Apprentice Boys from Ligoniel in Derry paraded past the nationalist enclave of Ardoyne in Belfast this morning before leaving for Derry and the main demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the Siege of Derry.
Some 140 bands participated in the return leg of the city's Apprentice Boys march which passed through the flashpoint Diamond area without major incident.
In Belfast only about 30 Apprentice Boys marched down Crumlin Road and past a nationalist counter demonstration at Ardoyne.
There was a significant PSNI presence at the flashpoint where republican and loyalist communities live in close proximity. The majority of the officers were in normal uniform, but up to two dozen were deployed in full riot gear and many more police officers were stationed locally in case of trouble.
Some 50 demonstrators lined one side of the road and protested in silence as the loyalist passed by. Under the terms of a ruling by the Parades Commission, which rules on contentious marches and other demonstrations, the Apprentice Boys were not permitted to follow a band. Permission had been turned down for the Shankill Star band, which commemorates a loyalist killer, to lead the parade.
Permission was later denied for a replacement band, the Hillview flute band, to take its place.
The marchers were greeted by loud cheering as the reached the loyalist Woodvale Road in the Shankill area only 200 metres from the sectarian interface at Ardoyne.
Joe Marley of the Crumlin and Ardoyne Residents Association (Cara)said the confrontation was unnecessary.
"The parade is taking place in Derry. Residents came out in local opposition to this parade. From our perspective if the Apprentice Boys stopped this coat-trailing exercise it would have been a non-issue."
Mr Marley said a number of diversionary activities, including the Ardoyne Fleadh, has been organised to help keep young people off the streets.
Sinn Fein junior minister Gerry Kelly said there was no desire in Ardoyne for the marching issue to remain unresolved for years ahead.
"This is a feeder parade. It is people marching through a number of Catholic areas to get on a bus to go to Derry. They have a different view, I understand that. But if we are trying to reach a conclusion then it is the residents' group Cara they need to talk to. The loyal orders either individually or collectively need to talk to the residents groups. If you eschew dialogue, if you don't try dialogue then how do you get anywhere?"
Rather than leaving the issue until next year's marching season, he pressed for talks to begin in September.