Anti-Agreement unionists gave today's events in the North a cool reception.
The DUP argued the IRA had offered nothing new while the UUP's leading dissident, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, said the party would go to the polls "at their peril" off the back of today's events.
The Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Mr Peter Robinson dismissed the move by republican's as "spin and hype". "The IRA statement has nowhere contained within it anything that indicates the war is over," he told BBC Radio 4.
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He said DUP supporters would see today's events as "a massive damp squib".
Mr Donaldson, who resigned the Ulster Unionist whip in protest at leader Mr David Trimble's support for restoring devolved government, also played down today's events.
"I certainly heard nothing today from Gerry Adams or the IRA that convinces me their so-called war is over, that this is an end to what's been described as a conflict, that they are going to wind up their illegal organisations, decommission all of their weapons within a very clearly defined timescale and end all of their paramilitary activity," he said.
Unionists had seen five-and-a-half years of promises and words from Mr Adams but no delivery, he said.
"I think that David Trimble goes back into government with this kind of deal at his peril and I do not believe that the majority of unionist voters will support a deal that is as weak as this."
