Yesterday (12 October 2009) was a historic occasion. The decision by the INLA to declare their war over and to renounced violence is long overdue but no less welcome for that. It was good too that it coincided with the visit of Hilary Clinton to Ireland (north & south), reaffirming US commitment to the peace process.

Another reason it is welcome is that it comes one day before the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Brighton bombing in 1984 when the IRA attempted to kill British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

Although that bombing didn't kill the Prime Minister, it did kill five others. The BBC has a number of remarkable features on the events including this photo-gallery with eyewitness and first hand accounts of the events of that night.

It is hard to imaging how much further along the road towards peace the conflict in Northern Ireland has come since those very dark days. Despite our dark and gloomy recession news them we have some things to be grateful for.

Eoin