News of the murder of Ms Rosemary Nelson in Lurgan caused widespread revulsion and dismay in political circles. All the party leaders sent messages of condolence to the bereaved Nelson family.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said in California: "This outrage is an attack on the peace process and the vast majority of people on the island of Ireland who support it and who had hoped that such atrocities were now part of history.
"Despite threats to her life arising from her work, Ms Nelson courageously continued to serve her clients and the cause of justice and the rule of law. My sympathy goes to her family who will be in great need of support and comfort at this time", the Taoiseach added.
Echoing his sentiments, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, said he had spoken to the Minister for Political Development in Northern Ireland, Mr Paul Murphy, to convey his deep concern at "this terrible event" and to stress the absolute importance of bringing those responsible to justice as speedily as possible.
The bomb was sophisticated, and forensic examination would show in due course who put it under Ms Nelson's car. Asked to comment on Sinn Fein suggestions of collusion between the security forces and loyalists, Mr Andrews said he had no evidence, but the investigation should be thorough to establish who was responsible.
Condemning Ms Nelson's "callous murder", the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said it was "a despicable act perpetrated by evil people".
"I would like to deliver this message to the perpetrators: you will not succeed in your destructive endeavours and you have neither role nor place in the new Northern Ireland. You will not be allowed subvert the will of the vast majority of people, North and South, who want peace and a new political order", she added.
Expressing hope that politicians in the North, with the help of the two governments, would seize the initiative and work to overcome the remaining obstacles in the way of the full implementation of the agreement, Ms Harney said yesterday's attack highlighted more than anything else the need for real political progress.
Describing the bomb attack as "a desperate crime", the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said it was an attempt to undermine the legal system for which Ms Nelson had worked so effectively.
"It was calculated to disrupt the work for a compromise by driving the communities further apart again", Mr Bruton added.
The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said Ms Nelson's killing was an atrocity, a deplorable act designed to strike fear into the broader nationalist community and an attempt to generate the kind of tension that could undermine support for the peace process. It was carried out by fascists.
"It is absolutely essential that no stone is left unturned in bringing these murderers to justice. This attack is an attack on a fundamental tenet of democracy, the right to legal representation", Mr Quinn said.
The Sinn Fein TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain, said Ms Nelson's death cast a shadow over the peace process at this difficult time. Urging the Government to press the British government to ensure all the events surrounding the attack were fully revealed, he said the circumstances of her killing echoed those prevailing when the Belfast solicitor Mr Pat Finucane was murdered.
"There must be no cover-up as in the case of Patrick Finucane. Whoever carried out this killing was an enemy of the peace process and of the Good Friday agreement. The response must be to push forward with the implementation of the agreement as negotiated", Mr O Caolain added.
Mr Joe Costello, the Labour party senator who has travelled to the Garvaghy Road as an observer and who knew Ms Nelson, said she was seen very much in the mould of Mr Finucane. Her "assassination" would inevitably heighten tensions and was carried out by people who hoped to defeat the talks currently going on in the US.