ANALYSIS:The lingering dispute between Sinn Féin and the DUP shows there is still growing up to do, writes Gerry Moriarty.
SINN FÉIN took some of the lustre away from the coronation of Peter Robinson as Northern Ireland's First Minister yesterday through the haggling and brinkmanship of recent days.
It did seem, as SDLP leader Mark Durkan said in the Assembly, "neither encouraging nor edifying" that today, on the second day of the administration led by Robinson and Martin McGuinness, they are again rushing off to London to ask Gordon Brown to help them sort out their problems.
Nonetheless, what must not be underplayed is that yesterday was an important, significant and indeed symbolic occasion - a new political era when, as Robinson and McGuinness agreed, real work must be done. A time too when pressing problems must be sorted if the Assembly and Executive are to have a stable future.
Dr Paisley blew a kiss at Stormont Castle as he left his First Minister's office for the last time yesterday afternoon satisfied with a job well started. His Chuckle Brother colleague Martin McGuinness gave him a parting gift of a framed copy of Seamus Heaney's "hope and history" poem, The Cure at Troy, personally written and signed by Heaney, and also a personally written copy of his own poem, Breac Gheal.
Paisley gave McGuinness a number of bibles and wished him well, although there was no handshake.
It was hardly surprising that Gerry Adams should quote a seanfhocal when paying tribute to Paisley. "It's a wise man who can change direction for the common good and it's a lucky man who lives long enough to enjoy it," he translated across the chamber to Paisley. Earlier Paisley had a quiet chuckle to himself when Adams reminded him that his riot-provoking incursion into the Falls Road in 1964 had prompted the future Sinn Féin president to get involved in republicanism.
But it was surprising that Robinson should quote in English the proverb fellow nationalist members were fond of using in the chamber, "Tús maith leath na hoibre" - a good start is half the work. And that was his main theme: "A year on, the settling-in period is now over. The time for the Executive and Assembly to deliver has arrived. There is much important work to be done."
"Of course the Deputy First Minister and I will have to roll up our sleeves - and neither of us will duck the challenges or recoil from the hard work that such tasks require," he added by way of accepting that he and McGuinness are in this project together. It was a good, conciliatory speech.
McGuinness endorsed Robinson's central can-do, must-do approach. "The honeymoon period is over. This is now about hard work. People out there are expecting results. We come here to deliver for the people." All this talk of joint enterprise might seem at odds with the fact that their first engagement together is heading off to Downing Street seeking Gordon Brown's assistance in resolving problems that they can't.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin is also due to be there helping to address the contentious issues of devolving policing and justice, the Irish language, education and a stadium at the Maze - Sinn Féin is accusing the DUP of blocking movement on these matters - and issues of concern to the DUP such as parading and the existence of the IRA army council.
Gerry Adams raised the ante hugely by effectively threatening to bring down the current Assembly if Sinn Féin's concerns aren't met. While Robinson and McGuinness were confirmed in their posts yesterday that threat remains, and that must worry the British and Irish governments.
Yet, the fact is that there are a number of compromise notions floating about that through normal political horse-trading could resolve these matters.
So, there was a contradictory message from yesterday's business. While Robinson and McGuinness focused on the work ahead the impression remains that this vital endeavour still needs the nursemaiding of London and Dublin, and that if politicians don't speedily get their way they will throw their rattlers out of the pram. The next few months will tell us whether Northern Ireland finally has grown-up politics, or remains a political kindergarten.