Mr Tony Blair laid bare his impatience to have the issues threatening the Belfast Agreement finally "sorted" yesterday as he joined the crucial Weston Park summit.
Speaking after preparatory bilateral talks with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at Chequers, Mr Blair invoked a shared sense of "real duty" before challenging the pro-agreement parties "to sit down, get the hard work done, and get this sorted."
His determination to move to a rapid resolution of the decommissioning-demilitarisation policing deadlock, if possible by this evening or early tomorrow, was echoed by 10 Downing Street. Asked again if the high pressure negotiations could be resumed later this week, following the 12th of July celebrations, a spokesman insisted: "It is not an issue of time, it is a question of will."
Mr Blair and Mr Ahern have made clear their reluctance to "hang around" until the statutory mid-August deadline for deciding in the absence of the election of a First Minister and a Deputy First Minister whether to suspend the institutions of the Good Friday accord or risk all on a throw of the electoral dice in fresh elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
However, there were no immediate indications as to whether prime ministerial willpower would prove enough as a cordon sanitaire was thrown around the participants inside the secure conference complex in Staffordshire.
The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, arrived declaring this a "moment of truth" for the political process, and still insistent IRA decommissioning was "the only issue" up for discussion. The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, likewise gave no public hint of a readiness to compromise, insisting it was not for Sinn Fein to deliver on decommissioning and that "the IRA are not at these talks."
Insiders said much of the first day of talks would almost inevitably be taken up with a "ritual" rehearsal of the stated party positions before substantial negotiations got under way.
Sources played down earlier excitement that the former US president, Mr Bill Clinton, might be playing a critical role in the negotiations.
Speculation that a breakthrough might be imminent intensified briefly when it emerged that Mr Clinton had spent Sunday night at Mr Blair's country residence and had spoken briefly with the Taoiseach upon his arrival there yesterday.
When it became clear Mr Clinton would not be joining the prime ministers and party leaders at the talks, there were suggestions that he would be ready to make telephone calls to key participants if that was considered likely to help.
However, usually reliable sources later maintained Mr Clinton's presence at this time was "entirely coincidental".
Before leaving Chequers, Mr Ahern repeated his desire for an early conclusion to the talks. "This is a week when we can try to finish the outstanding issues," he said. "We need an inclusive dialogue with all the pro-agreement parties. Over these next few days, if we work together . . . I believe we can come to a sensible conclusion."