Good Friday Agreement archives: How the war-weary communities reacted to the deal

The Good Friday Agreement, signed 25 years ago this month, effectively brought an end to more than three decades of violence that had racked the country. In a series of articles, the Irish Examiner is looking back at how the famous peace agreement was reported. In April 1998, Joe Oliver got the reaction of locals to the signing of the agreement 

Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair (left) and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern signing the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago. File picture: Dan Chung/PA

The historic peace deal to end 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland was virtually signed and sealed. But the reaction from war-weary communities on both sides of the political divide was the same....let's hope it's for real.

After so many disappointments, setbacks and hitches on the rocky road to peace, people in the North can hardly believe that politicians, some of whom can't even bring themselves to speak to one another, have finally pulled it off.