Friday, April 10, was Good Friday, and, for the people of Northern Ireland, it was also a Friday to go down in history. It was the day that the sectarian and political circle describing that unfortunate province was apparently squared.

We in England, I suspect, cannot properly imagine the sense of hope and expectation that the ordinary people of Northern Ireland must be feeling.

Here in Keighley, for example, we take it for granted that there are no areas of the town that we cannot enter. Even in the most deprived parts of the town the rule of law and order, to a greater or lesser extent, continues to hold sway.

Here, Roman Catholics and Protestants have discarded the ancient enmity that has so characterised European society in past centuries.

Unfortunately, adherence to a particular Christian church often dictated to which political party an individual belonged. So, not only religion but also politics was part of everyone's bigoted baggage.

Since 1922, when Eire became a sovereign state, and the six counties of the North voted to remain in the Union, entrenched views have fed the cycles of violence with which that sad island has become so synonymous.

Unionists have regarded the green flag of the south with a suspicion bordering on hatred. Republicans from the south have viewed the north as an occupied part of their country and so it has continued for more than three quarters of a century.

Until Good Friday, when a miracle happened.

Strong men and women from these islands of ours metaphorically knocked together the heads of opposing factions from that province.

In so doing, I believe, they began to knock some sense into the situation: a situation that, to many fair minded people, could not be further tolerated.

It seems to me that in this so-called civilised country of ours to have one of her Majesty's subjects feel disposed to murder and maim a fellow subject cannot be right.

The courageous stand that many of Northern Ireland's political leaders have exhibited shows how far they have matured. That they have even sat down at the same negotiating table would have, at one time, been seen as miraculous. But, to have them agreeing a framework for peace suggests the hand of God at work.

It has to be more than coincidence that these historic events were finalised on the day marking Jesus' death for us all.

I sincerely hope that the raucous and rapacious voice of Dr Ian Paisley cannot drown the concerted articulation of Northern Ireland's population.

It is right that their will be at last heard and obeyed, and that the archaic and the anachronistic be swept away and consigned to the dusty vaults of history.

The people of that province deserve what we in England almost take for granted: the right to live in peace, to prosper according to their efforts and to decide for themselves the path down which their creative and unique energies may take them.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.