Some nine days after the murders at Ballymoney, it is still too early to say if the cruel deaths of the Quinn children will come to mark some kind of turning point in the troubled history of the North. But there is the perceptible sense, as Cardinal Daly observes in his article for the Tablet reprinted in today's editions, that Ballymoney has already acted as some kind of catalyst for change. There appears to be a new determination among all people of goodwill on this island that there can be no repetition of this heinous deed. A great deal has changed. The supposed `settling-day' at Drumcree has come and gone without the kind of mass violence that was feared. The sinister forces who sought to foment what was, in effect, a conspiracy against the community, appear isolated. The crowds that once packed the fields around the church have melted away. The Church of Ireland has begun an impassioned debate about its role at Drumcree. The Orange Order, meanwhile, is riven as never before by division and bitterness. And those, like the Rev William Bingham, who speak of the need to recognise the civil and religious liberties of all in Northern Ireland are clearly in the ascendant. Several others have emerged with some credit. At Drumcree, the British government and, not least, the RUC, have demonstrated an admirable determination to hold the line and to enforce the law. The contrast with events two years ago when the police and government capitulated in the face of provocation, could scarcely be more marked.
In a manner which bodes well for the future governance of Northern Ireland, the First Minister, Mr Trimble, has shown a readiness to confront his former Orange colleagues at Drumcree and to provide leadership for all the community in Northern Ireland. There are encouraging signs that he has forged a strong constructive alliance with his Deputy, Mr Seamus Mallon. The immediate task is to find a model for the `marching season' that allows Orangemen to uphold their traditions without the kind of ritualised baiting of nationalists and the security forces evident at Drumcree and elsewhere. There is, possibly, no other single issue that contributes more to keeping the communities apart.
It is to be hoped that the resumption of proximity talks between the Orange Order and the Garvaghy Road residents this morning will lead to some kind of acceptable compromise. Developments in Derry, where members of the Apprentice Boys appear ready to discuss the routing of next month's march with members of the city's Civic Forum, could provide a template for other disputed parades.
The primacy of politics must also be re-asserted. The people of Northern Ireland, both in the referendum and the Assembly elections, have spoken decisively in favour of new institutions built on mutual respect and accommodation between the traditions. These new institutions represent the building blocks towards a new more promising future for the North. The most encouraging sign this weekend is that the Belfast Agreement has been robust enough to withstand the determined efforts of those in Drumcree and beyond who have sought to defy the will of the people and tear it down.