Quote of the day

Dr Garret FitzGerald and Eamon Keane:

Ultimately, we can perhaps only define Sinn Fein by what it has achieved. Gerry Adams will argue that there is a peace now, and that is true. FitzGerald probes deeper, though. If Sinn Fein/IRA killed in the name of a united Ireland, how close are they to that now? ''They created two major obstacles to a united Ireland. They have destroyed the Northern economy, impoverishing it to a point where it couldn't afford to join the South because of the loss of living standards.

"Equally we could not afford to subsidise them, so economic unity became impossible. In addition, we had to work closely with the British, and consequently relations between Ireland and England have greatly improved. You know, that is all they got for the 1,800 dead. How can they stand over that? How they can sleep at night? I don't know.''