IRA decommissioning - Euphoria on hold ahead of statement

With formal meetings again resumed between the Government and Sinn Féin, it was understandable that yesterday’s meeting would consolidate speculation about imminent decommissioning by the IRA, already strongly conjectured.

Indeed, Gerry Adams fuelled that conjecture by referring to the fact that the parties were “on the cusp of something big” and that the IRA would honour its commitment to decommission all its weapons.

People could be forgiven for reserving their euphoria in the light of previous momentous occasions which, having been heralded, never transpired.