After three national strike days, six days of supervision withdrawal, several large rallies and even a few rousing bars of the Fields of Athenry, industrial action by secondary teachers has come to an end. At least for Christmas.
Most second-level schools break for holidays next Friday and will not reopen until January 8th. To borrow a hackneyed phrase from the Northern peace process, this gives teachers and the Government a small "window of opportunity" to resolve the almost two-month-old dispute.
The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, has met ASTI during and before the dispute. After an important meeting on December 12th in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, further talks were expected but have failed to materialise.
However, sources expect the contacts to be re-established over Christmas. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, told the Dail on Wednesday that meetings between the ASTI and Dr Woods were being arranged.
ASTI has let off lots of steam in the past few weeks and many of its members must be emotionally drained at this stage. With financial hardship coming on top of the frustration of sitting in empty classrooms, there is no doubt ASTI is in the mood for compromise.
But talks need to take place first and they could be long and tortuous.
If they happen at all, both parties will be under immense pressure to come up with a solution. The examination process begins in January and oral and practical exams take place in early February. Without teachers, one wonders how these could go ahead.
Described long ago by ASTI as the "nuclear option", the threat to withdraw from exams places equal pressure on the Government and ASTI.
For the Government there is the chilling prospect of widespread parental anger if children are denied the chance to take exams. Nobody needs to spell out the political ramifications of that. For ASTI the risk of hitting exams could carry even more risks in the long term. Every drop of public sympathy would likely dry up.
The status and image of teaching could be gravely damaged. Truly dedicated teachers would have to look on as their pupils are forced to deal with terrible uncertainty after years of study. In particular, who will mark their papers?
Such gloomy prospects should be enough to reinvigorate the talks. As one ASTI teacher said yesterday, "It's time to talk and eat turkey over the next few weeks."
He added that if teachers were given some kind of special forum where their concerns might be properly addressed ASTI could pull back from the edge.
An independent forum for teachers is still the most likely outcome to talks. ASTI general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon, said on Thursday this was the way forward.
However, it is understood the Government is worried that if teachers get their own forum, they would be seen as a unique group with a monopoly on suffering in the public sector. Dr Woods's ministerial colleagues might not be too enamoured of the idea of placing teachers above other public sector workers under the responsibility of their Departments.
However, linking any teachers' forum to the benchmarking body - which is available to all public service workers - might get over this difficulty and still allow Mr Lennon and his troops to escape from the battlefield with their heads held relatively high.