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An Excerpt from Keith Burnside's Diary: Monday 26 March 2007

Monday 26th March, according to the Secretary of State, Peter Hain was "devolution or dissolution" day. It was the government's deadline to the 108 MLAs at Stormont to either restore devolution or have the Assembly dissolved. Keith Burnside was reading the news bulletins on 成人论坛 Radio Ulster.

I was working the early shift and was up at 4.30 to shave and shower before driving past Parliament Buildings and into Broadcasting House in Belfast. It was cold outside, but I had a feeling things were going to heat-up before the day was through.

I got into the Newsroom just before 5.45, where my colleague Dan Stanton was putting together the early bulletin. We went on the air at 6.30 with a report from our Political Correspondent, Martina Purdy confirming that direct rule had ended at midnight - and without agreement the Assembly was heading for dissolution.

Very little else was known about the day's proceedings. There was, however, a possibility that the Assembly was going to sit at noon and at some stage it was hoped that the two main parties - the DUP and Sinn Fein would sit down and settle their disagreements - not to put too fine a point on it!

Then just after 10 o'clock, Dan answered the 'phone. It was Gareth Gordon, a colleague of Martina's, with copy saying the sitting of the Assembly had been postponed and that a meeting between Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley was due to take place at 11 o'clock. The signs were that if the meeting went ahead it would signal agreement between the two parties.

Just before midday Martina was back on the line from Stormont to say that the meeting - which had been round a 'diamond-shaped table' - was coming to an end and that the two party leaders would be making a statement shortly. We had finished the midday news and were minutes into Talkback with David Dunseath when Ian Paisley read his statement. He was followed by Gerry Adams. Agreement had been met, the arch rivals agreed to share power, and they would begin joint rule on Tuesday 8th May.

The 'phones went mad. World Service in London were on wanting to book studio interview time...then came Radio 4 and the World Service again for their Europe Tonight programme. At the same time news services across the world were breaking details of the "historic" event.

Reaction to the news was swift to follow. The Prime Minister, Tony Blair welcomed the news saying it was "a very important day for the people of Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State, Peter Hain said "the clouds have lifted and the people can see the future". And the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern described the deal as 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� and a 鈥渧ery positive鈥� development in Northern Ireland.