“Here it is at last.”

These were the words that accompanied my father dropping the paper on the breakfast table in front of me.

I looked up and caught the headline:

‘IRA Announces formal end to conflict’

I nodded and went back to eating. There was nothing to say. In the end it was what we all wanted, on both sides of the argument, most people just wanted to get on with their lives, for their kids to be safe. The old hatreds were dying out, and even where they were hanging on, like ticks on a dog, the truth was that even the most hard line soldiers were losing their stomach for it.

“Is that all y’re goin’ ta say?”

“Yes, Da.”

I could feel his eyes burning into my head, almost hear him trying to decide whether or not to start something with me about it, and then it came;

“Those bastards took yer Ma, and even then we won. Do you know what this means son? It means we’re right, we’re better.”

I looked up into his eyes;

“No, Da, it means that less boys will grow up without their Ma. That’s what it means.”