'As Sunday turned into Monday, FF began to lose seats they should have won. And by the end of the day, only a three-party government was possible. And doubts immediately began to creep in.'

A wave of Independents were swept into power in the last general election. The country was in recovery mode.

In the midst of the power-sharing difficulties in the North, Ryle Dwyer argues that people should remember how such problems were initially resolved.

On the 40th anniversary, Ryle Dwyer looks at the momentous events of the 1977 general election.