Unionists and Nationalists forge uneasy peace in N. Ireland

by Kaitlin | March 26, 2007 at 10:34 am

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This historic move is set to unite two sides which have, for decades, divided Ireland. One needs only to view Irish films or read Irish literature, or listen to Irish music, to see the deep scars that a divided Northern Ireland created.

It is, however, an uneasy peace, and one that will certainly be tested in the weeks and months to come. It's worth noting that the two leaders did not publicly shake hands.

BELFAST, March 26 (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic parties agreed on Monday to start sharing power on May 8 after their leaders put aside decades of hostility to hold a historic first meeting.

Hardline Protestant cleric Ian Paisley, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), sat side-by-side with Gerry Adams, head of the mainly Catholic Sinn Fein, to announce the ground-breaking deal to govern the British province.

"We must not allow our justified loathing of the horrors and tragedies of the past to become a barrier to creating a better and more stable future for our children," Paisley said after the meeting at Belfast's imposing assembly building.