Fergus Finlay: The political vacuum that exists in Northern Ireland is quite puzzling

It’s as if Northern Ireland has stopped mattering, even to the people who live there. Never mind what are they fighting about — what are they fighting for?

Members of the Orange Order take part in a Twelfth of July parade in Belfast, part of the traditional Twelfth commemorations. File Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Thank goodness we all came through the last month or so in one piece. Like you, I was terrified of several more outbreaks of sectarian violence. Loud banging of drums, all sorts of intimidatory behaviour, an almost entirely male group of middle-aged to older men, waving their triumphalism at the rest of us. It all happened in the last few weeks, incredible tension beforehand, sighs of relief when it ended with no-one being hurt.

Except none of it happened at all. For years now, ‘the Twalfth” and the Apprentice Boys parades in Northern Ireland presented a complete anti-climax to anyone still living in the past. On both days, some kids got a bit rowdy and a couple of stones were thrown. The PSNI turned out in numbers and essentially had nothing to do. A lot of police officers earned a lot of overtime to watch a few inconsequential parades. And who’d begrudge them that?