I'm not that old, but pushing forty I'm old enough. Old enough to remember some of the long and oh so bloody history of "the troubles". That's what they've called the events in Northern Ireland since the 1960's - during my entire lifetime basically. The reality is the conflict in Northern Ireland has its root long before. Before the partition of Ireland in 1922, before the potato famine of 1846, and all the way back to the seventeenth century when much of the Irish owned land was confiscated and given to English lords.

The Troubles were the cause of me knowing the word "terrorist" from an early age. One side of the fence calls them freedom fighters, another terrorists. One side insurgents, another guerilla fighters. Its all a matter of perspective and the perspective in Northern Ireland went way back. Way, way, back.

In fact as a kid I was convinced that Northern Ireland would be forever embroiled in turmoil and forever lobbing bombs to the mainland. No Christmas would pass without explosions in the main shopping areas of London. Imagine that - an entire youth spent worrying about bombs when Christmas shopping and hearing about members of the royal family being pecked off. Its no small miracle they never managed to get the Queen herself, goodness knows they tried. It was an entire youth spent looking for somewhere to put litter when taking a train journey because everyone knows trash cans are good for hiding bombs in and they make such nice shrapnel when they go to smithereens. All this lead me to one fateful day to put "Peace in Ireland" on my top three list of things I hoped to see happen in my lifetime. It wa right up there with the end of Apartheid and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

So today, with the apparent decommissioning of the IRA weapons stockpile and perhaps the end of the other side's last excuse for continuing anti-Catholic violence, I am happy to think that maybe, just maybe, I've gone three for three with my "dreams come true" list. Maybe I wont have to hear about any more deaths in Northern Ireland - no more tit for tat, no more persecution, no more "terrorism", no more wasted lives in the name of "the troubles".

I just hope that's the case, only time will tell and hopefully my life will be long enough to say for sure. But Northern Ireland my thoughts are with you - may you rest in peace - some day soon and forever.

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