Ireland `may be emerging from its cold dark night'

This is a more hopeful time to be alive in Ireland, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland heard in Belfast yesterday. The Rev Dr John Dunlop said: "It reminds me of the hope-filled years between 1965 and 1968 when Corrymeela was established, Vatican II had finished and the possibility of warmer relationships between the Roman Church and the churches of the Reformation became a possibility and frozen relationships in Ireland showed signs of thawing."

Such hopes had been only partially realised "before we descended into the cold dark night of 30 years of the most awful violence when the divisions and fractures of this country deepened and widened. We may now be emerging from that cold dark night."

The past 12 months might prove pivotal, he said. "There is some evidence that the politics of this island are moving from negative protest about what we don't like to constructive engagement in shaping a better future," he said.

He invited the assembly "to affirm that continued constructive leadership is required . . . to ensure that the proposed arrangements succeed for the well-being of everyone in both parts of the island. The early release of prisoners and the decommissioning of weapons are confidence-building elements in that process."

The Rev Bill Moore, of Taughmonagh, Belfast, asked: "What is party political any more when you have Bernadette Devlin and Ian Paisley on one side and Gerry Adams and David Trimble on the other?" He knew "many fine, excellent, outstanding nationalist people . . . who want simple equality". But the response often was: "Oh, no, we're the people, the people that matter. This is our country."

The former clerk of the General Assembly, the Very Rev Dr Jack Weir, asked if the church was in error in not talking to Sinn Fein, even to terrorists.

The church had been asking politicians to make U-turns: should it not do so itself? he asked. "We, as church, should be talking to those who disagree with us. I now believe we have something to say to them and we should listen to them, for the good of the community." He was loudly applauded when he said: "I believe I was wrong in not urging more for this in the past, but I think now is the time to turn."

The Rev Ken Newell, of Fitzroy in Belfast, suggested that six or seven former moderators might "weigh in" with local ministers and elders in talking to residents' groups.

The Rev William Bingham, Deputy Grand Chaplain of the Orange Order, succeeded in having the assembly pass an amendment "recognising the pain and hurt caused by the early release of prisoners under the terms of the agreement reached on April 10th, 1998".