IN A city that endured the horrors and heartbreak of the pub bombings, the Northern Ireland peace agreement has a special resonance.
As the number of casualties mounted on both sides of the Irish Channel, few would have thought that one day the two sides in the vicious divide would sit down in government together.
Few would have guessed that centuries of hatred and mistrust could be put aside in the cause of reconciliation.
We applaud Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness and the other leading Protestant and Republican figures for the goodwill, commonsense and statesmanship that led to yesterday's moving, stirring scenes at Stormont.
We applaud, too, Tony Blair, John Major and their ministers for the huge part they played in securing a deal.
Here is an example of how peace can emerge in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Much of the world is being torn apart by conflict. Perhaps one day peace will triumph in these countries, too.