Group organises prayers for peace

Prayers for the success of the Northern peace talks which open today have been offered up at a multi-denominational church service in Dublin attended by diplomats, politicians and peace activists. The Ulster Unionist deputy lord mayor of Belfast, Cllr Jim Rodgers, joined Dublin's Lord Mayor, Mr John Stafford, for the service in the Unitarian Church on St Stephen's Green yesterday.

Cllr Rodgers declined to comment on the form of unionist participation in the talks, saying he had come to Dublin to pray.

The organiser of the service, Mr Chris Hudson of the Peace Train organisation, hoped all groups with a commitment to non-violence would attend the peace talks. "We hope that everyone will be represented, but like a peace train this does not mean that they have to be in the same carriage."

The Unitarian minister, the Rev Bill Darlison, recalled the beatitude which says: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God."

He added: "There can never be any real peace without justice and justice has to be won by long and peaceful struggle." A deep and long-standing sense of injustice and a fear of the past and the future were at the heart of the problems in the North.

Father Paul Byrne called on politicians to bring "child-like" qualities to the talks. "Children have a sense of freshness and wonder, and they have no baggage. We adults often carry baggage, and are cynical and mistrustful."

The service was attended by several hundred people, including Ms Mary Flaherty of Fine Gael and Democratic Left's Ms Liz MacManus TD. The British ambassador, Ms Veronica Sutherland, and the president of the Jewish Representative Council in Ireland, Mr Martin Simmons, attended. Also present were writer and former senator, Mr Sam McAughtry, and Dr John de Courcy Ireland.