They have said it, unambiguously, at last. After all of the years of cajoling, threatening, and persuading the IRA to acknowledge, and to apologise, for the murderous acts which it committed in the name of their so-called war in Northern Ireland, the statement has eventually come. After all of the weasel words which compromised the peace process and confounded their constitutional counterparts within it, the IRA has finally said sorry.
There can be no down-playing the significance of yesterday's statement where the IRA, for the first time in its history, offers "sincere apologies and condolences" to the families of all civilians killed by its hands over the thirty years of the Troubles. It marks another first for the peace process, even if it will appear to many to be too little too late.
That the IRA chose the 30th anniversary of Bloody Friday on July 21, 1972 - when it killed nine people and injured 130 in Belfast - is neither here nor there. The IRA, for its own reasons at this time, claims that, while it was not its intention to injure or kill "non-combatants", the reality was that on this and on a number of other occasions, that was the consequence of its actions. It apologises to the families of civilians. It is important that it also it accepts that there have been fatalities amongst "combatants on all sides". It merely proceeds to "acknowledge" the grief and pain of their relatives.
For all of that, the statement of apology from the IRA is straightforward and unprecedented in its strength. It should be afforded a guarded welcome. Both the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, view it as a significant contribution to the process of consolidating peace and reconciliation. The Fine Gael leader, Mr Kenny, suggested that the ultimate demonstration that the "war" was truly over would be a further statement of intent to disband the IRA completely. The Labour Party leader, Mr Quinn, rightly responded that those who never supported the armed struggle would never accept the IRA's definition of combatants or legitimate targets.
This statement is probably as close as the IRA, with its twisted theology, will ever come to saying that the "war" is over. But, welcome though that is as a symbolic gesture to society, it is not enough. It is hardly pure coincidence that the statement was issued in time for the commencement of a debate on the Northern Ireland peace process in the House of Commons. The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, is due to respond to a demand from the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr Trimble, to reconsider Sinn Fein's position in the Executive if there is not a more substantial transition from violence to democracy. There is another crisis looming in the peace process. The IRA's statement, in its real context, is only words not deeds.