Peace at last in Northern Ireland?

I never thought I'd live to see the day that Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin would be sitting at the same table agreeing to a power-sharing arrangement for Ulster. But incredibly that day is upon us. No doubt this is a relief but one has to ask why it's taken fully nine years after the Good Friday Agreement to get to this point. Under the agreement, the Northern Ireland Cabinet will have 4 ministers from the DUP with Paisley as First Minister (or Premier). SF will get three with Martin McGuinness as Deputy; with the Ulster Unionists (the far less radical pro-British party) getting two and the SDLP (the moderate Catholic party) one.

The return of devolution is slated to happen no later than May 8. It probably should be sooner than that; but people in the North will be happy that decisions are being made locally and not directly from London. The long term issue of course is the question as to whether the North will eventually reunite with the South. While the Protestant population has dropped to about 53% of the North in recent years, I doubt reunification will happen for a long time for two reasons and they both have to deal with family life. Catholics in the North, no matter how devout they are, simply will not agree to give up their rights under the more liberal divorce and abortion laws that exist there.

Besides, under the current legislation (as I understand it), a referendum on the "Irish question" can only happen if London senses there is a majority support for it -- and were such a vote to be in the negative, another referendum could not take place for seven years. During such a period, one could only imagine the instability and unrest that might occur.

Frankly, I think people on both sides are just sick and tired of the violence and want to get on with bread and butter issues. It's heartening to see Paisley finally acknowledge that Catholics have a right to exist and Adams putting the hatchet firmly behind his back if not burying it all together. I sincerely hope and pray the promise of Good Friday can finally bear fruit -- there's more at stake than just the kids.

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