Since then there has been frenetic activity behind-the-scenes, mainly at Hillsborough Castle, to try to break the deadlock.
Four days of talks took place but by Thursday night it was clear they were going nowhere.
At Stormont, the power-sharing executive came close to collapse. In the end, it wobbled but it did not fall down.
Unionists accused some members of Sinn Féin of being lawmakers who became lawbreakers. They insisted they were simply supporting a community that needed their help.
Expect that argument to continue in the days and weeks ahead.
In the meantime, the focus now switches back to Belfast High Court, for an appeal hearing on Monday.
The residents’ coalition is trying to overturn the decision to give the march the go-ahead.
Although the court is important, nobody is taking their eye off the situation on the ground in Portadown, especially the police.
The Orangemen still want to walk. The protesters are standing by, just in case.
The Drumcree stand-off remains tense.
The hope is that the only battles which take place in the coming days are in the Belfast courtroom and the Stormont chamber, and not on the streets of Portadown.
