By the grace of God it didn't happen, this time. Instead, there is a sense of political drift. This may be unfair. The Northern Ireland Secretary has urged the political parties in Northern Ireland to become engaged in meaningful talks. But the recriminations continue as each side plays to its own constituency.
Attitudes appear to be hardening.
In the broad unionist community, there is a certain satisfaction that, at last, they seem to have arrived on the moral high ground. There are very few voices arguing for some compromise that might save the Belfast Agreement. On the contrary, the anti-agreement forces within the Ulster Unionist Party are gaining in confidence. The suspension of the executive may have given him a short respite, but his leadership is far from secure. There is concern about a possible alliance between Jeffrey Donaldson and Peter Robinson, which would draw support from the younger anti-agreement members of the UUP, Arlene Foster, Philip Weir and others.