If these guys can sit down and talk, what is stopping Bush from trying to use DIPLOMACY in the Mideast?

"What the hell was the matter with these people? It is absolutely stupid that these people were warring each other."

Do you even know s*hit about the history of Ireland? This is huge. I've spent the past couple months living in the republic (and I'm here until the end of May), and i've been learning about these problems first hand. Granted, it may be a bit biased because i am in the south, but this country (as a whole) has had such a sad little history, and i think this news is fantastic. I mean, there are parts in the north (like Shankhill) where if you have the wrong accent, you will be beaten.

Again, I for one am happy this step as been made. Maybe now, even if Ireland is never united, it can at least be peaceful and safe.

We can only hope that this is one small step that will lead to greater strides in the future. Having visited Northern Ireland in 2005, I came away with the feeling that it is poised on the edge of some big changes. What with the Irish economy booming and the young population, there is a psychological push to look forward, not back. I also got the impression that most of the animosity is amongst the lower classes. If in time everyone feels they have an equal opportunity at prosperity the hatred will fade, but it will happen slowly. This is a country where nothing happens quickly!

a peaceful Ireland!!

How glorious that would be!!!!!!

I hope it happens SOON!!!!

ha! Maybe their finally sobering up nuf' ta realize ain't no good gonna come of anything in kill'n over somethin as stupid as some idea of what happens after we're dead & can't do shyt about it Anyway!

As an European I am always amazed that Americans think they have the solution for everything. I am happy that they finally sit down together, that is a big step forward. But the problems are far from being solved.

As far as the British getting out of Northern Ireland, that is not a reasonable dream. And to accuse the Northern Irish of being from somewhere else, ask yourself, where did your ancestors come from. Unless you are 100% American Indian you too are a trespasser and should go back home. Or does that come to close for comfort.

The killing shall come after high tea.

With this long-running problem, there is a tendency to say "seen it before, and it didn't work" but this time there is greater cause for hope, since the inter-sectarian killing seems to have stopped more or less completely. With Paisley appearing to have mellowed in his extreme old age, perhaps the road to a lasting solution has at least been found.

i knew on saturday or sunday night when i saw that paisley wouldn't agree to the terms of the deal that on monday morning i would see that he would - and so here we are - what a surprise. being an apolitical northern irish catholic who left ireland's shores almost twenty-four years ago, all i can say is - who gives a shi_t. the terrorists on both sides - and they are terrorists, make no mistake - will be the eventual losers from this deal. it'll take a few years, but in the interim their drug running, protection racket, prostitution money - aka freedom fighting donations - will dry up. the last thing england wants is northern ireland, and both sides know it. why would london want to continue to fund - in the form of unemployment benefits if nothing else - a bunch of good for nothing unemployed northern irish - who would rather spend their time perpetuating a centuries old moronic struggle than get a job. 30 years of conflict = 3000 odd dead, crap compared with a few years of iraq.

oh,and by the way, i work in an office that has jews, muslims, catholics and protestants and i could give a shi_t as to who is who. there are many people in northern ireland who think the same way, just not enough - yet. when a sufficient enough percentage do then the problems of the day - or should i say "troubles" - will cease to exist. the northern irish people themselves need to decide whether or not they want to be considered as the backward retard of the european union or as an equal partner worthy of the billions of eu euro charity case money they presently receive, because, let's face it, they haven't contributed a single cent into those same euro coffers.

I was in Wexford Ireland once & went to a bottle shop to buy a bottle of Jameson Whiskey that was only available in Ireland. The clerk had none but held up two bottles of different brands- "both of these are as good as the Jameson's " she said . "which one would you suggest?" I asked. She said they were both equal, but she then thrusted one bottle foward and said -" but this one has a good Catholic name".

In Ireland it seems even the booze has a religious preference

This is a true story.

When Mickey Rourke was filming 'A Prayer For The Dying' in Belfast, he asked to be shown around the city. When he was driven past the staunchly loyalist Sandy Row area of the city he asked why there were Union Jacks etc there. The driver told him it was a Protestant area to which Rourke replied, "But there are no Protestants in Ireland."

Having spent a fair amount of time in both Republic and North, I am happy to see this. It has been a slow but inexorable progress, as young people become more global in their thinking and also envious in the North of the booming economy in the Republic (which has been going on more than just ten years btw.)

I'll never forget hearing Paisley the 1st time on the radio in Boston in the 70s. I thought it was a dramatised translation of Hitler's speeches, I couldn't figure out why the actor had an Irish accent...when I realised the speaker was a living politian of the the same background as me (Scottish & Irish) I was so shocked.

I've met folk from both "camps" and witnessed the difference in the north before and after 1994/95 - people would actually look you in the eye and be friendly whereas before they were suspicious and grim!

So I think just being able to be Irish (e.g. friendly, neighborly, helpful & outgoing) in itself made a big difference.