Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Fri 05 May 2007An Irishman's DiaryBarely a decade into the peace process, and the speed with which Ireland is achieving closure would impress any psychiatrist. If it's not God Save the Queen being played at Croke Park without incident, it's Ian Paisley being invited to visit the Battle of the Boyne site as the Republic's friendly guest, writes Frank McNallyThe latest and arguably most dramatic example of progress was at this week's Fáilte Ireland tourist fair, during which several hundred Irish and overseas guests were entertained with a lavish re-enactment of Ireland's earliest celebrity wedding: the one between Strongbow and Aoife Mac Murrough. In case you've forgotten, this was what started the whole trouble. But we're so over that now.