THE RUC's decision to push the Orange parade through Garvaghy Road provoked a surge of outrage in Dublin.
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats united in their condemnation of the RUC action unionist politicians and the Orange Order.
After days of silence on the situation since the stand off began five days ago, Fianna Fail issued a lengthy statement outlining its objections to "a surrender to mob rule". The party's spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Ray Burke said he was appalled at the treatment of the residents of the area by the RUC. He called on the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, to ensure there was no repetition on the Ormeau Road today.
"Fianna Fail are dismayed by the sudden and short sighted reversal by the RUC Chief Constable of his decision on the rerouting of the Drumcree Orange march and to surrender abjectly to what the British Prime Minister called mob rule," he said.
"If it was right to ban the march last Sunday, it was utterly wrong to reverse that decision without any agreement being reached with the residents.
"The message is that the rights of the nationalist community can be overridden by force, when necessary, and that in the final analysis Northern Ireland remains, to all intents and purposes, an Orange state," said Mr Burke.
There should be no violence, no bombs and no retaliation, he said. His party had refrained from comment to date in a wish to avoid unnecessary difficulties. But it had been very concerned at the situation and its implications for the safety and welfare of different communities in Northern Ireland.
The British government had pledged, in the Framework Document, to exercise its jurisdiction with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people of Northern Ireland in their diversity
"Where are these principles now? The Taoiseach has a duty and must protest in the strongest terms to the British Prime Minister about the situation," Mr Burke added.
Equally taken aback by the developments in Portadown, the Progressive Democrats' leader. Ms Mary Harney, accused the British government of "being cowardly in the face of blatant unionist bullying".
"The British government has caved into the combined extremism of unionism, loyalism and Orangeism. What hope is there for a peaceful future in Northern Ireland if bigots get their way and the voices of reason are drowned out by the threatening sound of the Lambeg drum?" she asked.
Condemning unionist leaders for their behaviour over the last month since the start of the multi party negotiations at Stormont, Ms Harney said they had spent the last four weeks bickering and "bad mouthing" those trying to take Northern Ireland into a new era of peace and reconciliation.
Expressing deep pessimism about the short term prospects for peace in the North, Ms Harney said she hoped that some sign of real political leadership would emerge from somewhere "and help us out of the enormous difficulties that now confront us".
The Progressive Democrats former leader and spokesman on Northern Ireland, Mr Des O'Malley, said that "a mob, and not the British government, is now ruling Northern Ireland this is totally unacceptable".
"This is a deplorable turn of events and can only exacerbate existing community divisions in Northern Ireland. It could set back community relations and irreparably damage trust in the police amongst nationalists. It must lead to increased uncertainty about the future," Mr O'Malley said.