Republican patience with how unionism deals with the political institutions, and with key issues like equality and human rights, will be tested because, obviously, there will be a battle a day on these matters. So lets face up to all of this with our eyes wide open.

It's been a long time coming but the reality is that this process is at a crossroads.

I like to think I'm very grounded. I'm very grounded in my family. I'm very grounded in my community.

It will always be a battle a day between those who want maximum change and those who want to maintain the status quo.

We can be revisionist, and that's a good thing to be at times, but we shouldn't airbrush our history, so we can only make judgments in the objective conditions of that time.

The way forward is by building political support for republican and democratic objectives across Ireland and by winning support for these goals internationally.

I was leaving the Belfast court, where I had been called to answer a very flimsy charge, later dismissed. You're relatively safe in such areas in the Irish community, but to go to downtown Belfast for me is dangerous. My appearance in court had been well advertised by the police. I think it was too much of a coincidence that the people who shot me were just passing by.