The Ulster Unionist Council meeting opened with a prayer and ended with God Save the Queen. In between, the Ulster Unionist Party tore itself apart.
It was after 4 p.m. on Saturday and outside Balmoral conference centre that young Timothy Johnston told of his "jubilation" at the "victory" over David Trimble. "Any more compromises from Trimble and he is finished," he said with relish.
Timothy, a 22-year-old accountant who on one famous occasion described Tony Blair to his face as "damaged goods", spoke with evangelical fervour. His ardent mood was in contrast to the crestfallen appearance of Kathleen Alexander, a middle-aged woman from Larne, who, to the annoyance of Timothy, edged her way into the conversation.
"You're really acting for the DUP," she said to the Young Unionist. With dignity but barely controlled emotion, she went on: "I am proud of David Trimble, of what he has done for this party, dragging it by its bootlaces from the 19th century, into the 20th century, into the 21st century.
"I am more disheartened than angry. Young people should be forward-looking, but it is the older people who are radical. The young people seem to want to get us back into the backwoods."
Whether Kathleen liked it or not, retorted Timothy, the views of the Young Unionists and of Martin Smyth, William Ross and Jeffrey Donaldson - who fell into different age groups - were going to be heard, and heard loudly.
This brief exchange embodied what Saturday was all about: a bitter struggle between those who want to take further risks to cement the Belfast Agreement and those who say: this far, no further. Old unionism versus new unionism, and still no outright winner, no clearing of the air.
As Trimble said at the end of a long day: "I took a few hits but I am still afloat, and they thought they were going to sink me."
Trimble suffered, as dissident MP William Thompson said, the "double whammy" of witnessing his leadership undermined and then being shackled to a motion of "no RUC, no government" to add to the anti-agreement demand to hold to the "no guns, no government" lock.
Saturday's business opened steadily enough: a prayer, delegates welcomed to Belfast by the UUP Lord Mayor, Robert Stoker, the adoption of the minutes of last year's agm of the council, the annual report from its executive chairman, Lord Rogan, and the state of the finances from treasurer Jack Allen.
Thereafter, it was internecine warfare by political means. Normally the press is allowed inside the building, if not inside the meeting, but we were kept out in the cold on Saturday, so that we might miss some of the metaphorical bloodletting. But we could hear it: the chanting, the cat-calling, the slow handclapping. The UUP president, Sir Josias Cunningham, indicated, contrary to normal practice, that Trimble and his opponent, the Rev Martin Smyth, could make opening pitches if they so wished. They declined. This may have been an opportunity missed for Trimble because over this brief campaign it was obvious that the UUP leader is sharper on his feet than Smyth, who tends to the abstruse.
"We were not in favour of Martin Smyth speaking," said a rather relieved Timothy Johnston, who with other Young Unionists engaged in an intense and precisely organised telephone lobbying campaign of the council delegates over Thursday and Friday.
When the result was announ ced by Sir Josias (457 votes for David Trimble, 348 for Martin Smyth) at about 12.30 p.m. proagreement supporters gave their leader a standing ovation, others kept their counsel, and quite a number of the younger brigade whooped, "Resign, resign, re sign". Jeffrey Donaldson, the heir apparent to Trimble, punched his fist in the air when the result was declared, according to Johnston. Lord Rogan came out to brief the press. Smyth, whom John Taylor had depicted as a "draught horse" rather than a stalking horse, had hit 43 per cent of the vote, 1 percentage point more than the 42 per cent the Yes [ RO] camp was insisting was necessary to inflict serious wounds on Trimble.
Pro-agreement and anti-agreement unionists drifted out to give their spins to the media. Trimble ally Michael McGimpsey said the vote showed the party was "rock solid" for the leader. Putting as brave a face as possible on a hard jolt for the Yes side, he complained about the council's unusual voting system, which gives 171 block votes to the Orange Order, the Young Unionists and the Unionist Women's Council, the vast majority of which were for Smyth.
But didn't Trimble on assuming leadership in 1995 say he would reform this system? "That plan just got overtaken by the demands of the peace process," shrugged McGimpsey.
The East Derry MP, Willie Ross, joined us. So, now that Trimble was re-endorsed as leader, would he loyally serve him? Only as long as he held to the no guns, no government principle, said Ross, looking chipper. What if he went for another form of sequencing, as he suggested in Washington? Then, said Willie, his opponents "would fight and fight and fight again".
Martin Smyth, when he came out to meet the media, appeared as a politician vindicated. "Yesterday's man?" "A draught horse?" No justification for such insults now, was his demeanour. Certainly, he would unite behind David Trimble - as long as Trimble united behind the demand for prior decommissioning.
He was fairly restrained, but he couldn't resist one hard phrase. Of Trimble's future? "All I can say is that there are those who fear that he may not even get reselected, never mind elected, in Upper Bann."
During this time, results were being announced for the 14 positions on the UUP executive. Here the pro-agreement side was finding comfort. Smyth failed to be re-elected to one of the four vice-president positions. A straw in the wind about future challenges perhaps, his place was taken by Jeffrey Donaldson. The three remaining positions went to Yes candidates, Ken Maginnis, Sir Reg Empey and Jim Nicholson.
The other battleground was for the four honorary secretary places, all of which were held by anti-agreement members. Der mot Nesbitt for the Yes camp grabbed a seat, with Jim Rodgers and Arlene Foster winning for the No side. The fourth place was a dead heat between Smyth and May Steele, a pro-agreement candidate. They had 402 votes each.
A flip of a coin decided it. The rub of the Orange was in his favour, and Martin Smyth was back on the executive.
After Trimble addressed the delegates and thanked them for re-endorsing him as leader, the special meeting of the council was convened to deal with London PR consultant David Burnside's motion seeking to link the retention of the RUC name to the resumption of the executive.
If the morning session was bitter and tense, the afternoon business was nasty and noisy. Burn side and Trimble, who tabled an amendment seeking to moderate the motion by leaving it to the party's peers and MPs to campaign in Westminster for the retention of the RUC title, were calm and to the point.
James Currie, the pro-agreement mayor of Ballymena, made a personal attack on Burnside, referring to his time at British Airways and querying why he left the UDR after only a year. Burnside coolly responded that he was requested by the army to leave the UDR because of his involvement in politics. He mentioned also that he had a British army medal of which he was very proud.
There was general consensus among the Yes and No sides that Currie's comments were counterproductive. "We would have won the vote but for his remarks," said one senior pro-agreement assembly member, perhaps with some exaggeration.
The amendment was lost by 384 (57 per cent) to 338 (43 per cent) and the Burnside motion was carried by acclamation.
Everybody then trooped out of the hall, some triumphant, some drained, some depressed. "Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio," sang the Young Unionists as Ken Maginnis heaved himself into his fourwheel drive for the journey home to Dungannon.
David Trimble gave a press conference. Would he resign? "Don't hold your breath," he said, as reporters and Martin Smyth, standing happy in the wings, looked on. Later, Trimble lieutenant Reg Empey sat down for the final interview of the day. No, it wasn't all over, he insisted. He and Trimble and the others in the Yes camp would make another try to find an "honourable compromise" with republicans over decommissioning. No, they would not be hamstrung by the attack on Trimble or the RUC motion.
Maybe, with the British and Irish governments driving business, there was life left yet in the agreement, maybe the republican movement would respond, said Sir Reg. Let's see what happens in the weeks ahead.
On a good day for the No camp but a terrible day for those in the Ulster Unionist Party who stand by the Belfast Agreement, he sounded like a Beckett character who, in the face of life's hardships, says defiantly: "I'll go on."
Leadership Election Result:
David Trimble, 457 votes (56.77 per cent)
Martin Smyth, 348 votes (43.23 per cent)