It would be heartening to believe that the conviction and sentencing of Colm Murphy marks a first step, rather than the extremity of police success in the investigation into the Omagh bombing. Murphy was a relatively small cog in the murderous machine that perpetrated the worst atrocity of the Troubles
His counsel, pleading mitigation yesterday in the Special Criminal Court, described him as "far from the centre" of the plot.
The conviction was referred to by one of the victims' relatives as "the first crack in the plate." The authorities say that the investigation will continue until those ultimately responsible are brought to justice. But it is difficult to be optimistic of much progress, given the disarray and controversy that now enmesh the policing of Northern Ireland in general and the Omagh investigation in particular.
Even as Colm Murphy started his sentence yesterday, the polarisation caused by the O'Loan-Flanagan rift became accentuated. The Police Federation and the Superintendents' Association threw their weight behind the Chief Constable, effectively repudiating the Ombudsman's report. Meanwhile some relatives of the victims spoke of withdrawing co-operation from the PSNI investigation.
There is a broad consensus among commentators that the Chief Constable's rebuttal of Mrs O'Loan's criticisms has been reasonably effective. The suggestion that the police might have been able to prevent the attack does not stand up. Some of her criticisms of the follow-up investigation have been well answered too. But at this point, the balance of right and wrong between the two over Omagh is less serious than the crisis of credibility which now hangs over the new policing structures provided for under the Belfast Agreement.
The argument on policing is breaking down on sectarian lines with Mrs O'Loan marked as the Catholic/Nationalist champion and the Chief Constable as the standard bearer for the Protestant/Unionist community. This must not be allowed to continue and the responsibility for ending it rests primarily with the Secretary of State, Dr John Reid. If this necessitates a fresh start with the warring personalities removed from the arena of conflict, so be it.
Two powerful ideologies are in conflict here. Mrs O'Loan and her office have a mission whose watchwords are accountability and transparency. But traditional policing, especially where security departments like Special Branch are concerned, eschews these conditions, certain that it can best operate, unobserved in confidentiality and secrecy. Somehow they have to be reconciled and made to fuse together for the future effective operation of the PSNI.
The conviction of Colm Murphy also raises questions in this jurisdiction. It is a success for the Garda Síochána. But the judges' indictment of the actions of some officers casts a shadow over that success. There is work to be done here also in bringing procedures for police accountability and operational standards into line with best international practice.