Sinn Fein has wrested concessions from the British government since the last ceasefire but it was with a new Prime Minister that real moves began. Irish Times Reporters highlight key moments leading to last night's call by Gerry Adams
IT has been a long time coming but the final moves in the high risk game of opening the way for a new IRA ceasefire were only executed in the past week or so.
There are several key dates in the British-Sinn Fein dialogue leading to last night's statement by Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness.
On Easter Saturday Dr Mowlam said Sinn Fein "could" be admitted to talks some eight weeks after an unequivocal ceasefire.
Labour won the May 1st poll and, on Friday May 16th, the new Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said he would permit contact between his officials and Sinn Fein provided events on the ground made it possible.
On May 21st and 28th, British officials met Martin McGuinness and Gerry Kelly. On June 13th, they sent Sinn Fein the crucial aide memoir setting a six-week timetable for Sinn Fein entry to talks, and an end-of-May 1998 deadline for the completion of the negotiation process.
But there was widespread despair when, on June 16th, the IRA shot dead two policemen in Lurgan. As a result, Mr Blair cancelled a meeting with Sinn Fein.
The aide memoir brought a response from Mr Adams on June 20th, when he wrote to Mr Blair seeking clarification.
Five days later, on June 25th, Mr Blair made his "final offer" statement in the House of Commons and detailed the agreed British-Irish proposals to remove decommissioning as a block to negotiations.
On July 2nd Sinn Fein wrote a second letter requesting further clarification. Two days later, Sinn Fein spoke to British officials by telephone.
By letter dated July 9th, the British effectively promised that in the event of a credible IRA ceasefire Sinn Fein would not be expelled from talks if there was no movement on decommissioning.
The British position, in a reply to Martin McGuinness, also stressed British government seriousness about the proposed timetable, and that, should negotiations fail, the two governments would themselves seek rapid progress toward a settlement acceptable to unionists and nationalists.
This letter was the clincher.
By July 11th, Sinn Fein had resumed telephone contact with London. On Thursday of this week, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble realised what was afoot. He announced that he could not accept the British-Irish proposals on decommissioning.
Mr Blair's government responded by refusing to reopen the decommissioning issue and publishing its reply to Sinn Fein.