Direct rule suited many important people in this society. It handed them power without democratic responsibility, let alone any responsibility to uppity Catholics or the working class Protestants despised for providing the cannon fodder. The point of the above for peace 'n' reconciliation groups is that their efforts have concentrated on the poorer parts of the two communities which took the bulk of the brunt and blame of the fighting, with mixed success. I would argue that the parts of our society which are most alienated from the process are those who believe they have most to lose. John Hume's greatest fib was the one about agreement threatening nobody.
Agreement threatens exactly the people needed to make it work.
These are the people who need to be reconciled to the new society being built under their noses. That is the constituency that Corrymeela need to engage. John O'Farrell John O'Farrell is managing editor of Fortnight magazine an independent review of politics and the arts for Ireland. Fortnight can be contacted at 81 Botanic Avenue, Belfast.