"I believe that what we have witnessed over the past few days are historic seismic shifts in the political landscape in Northern Ireland" - The Prime Minister, Mr Blair, as he returned for one more attempt to resolve the decommissioning deadlock
"There has been huge progress. There is no doubt about that whatsoever" - Mr Blair
"The entire civilised world will not understand if we can't put this together and make it work. They simply won't understand and rightly" - Mr Blair
"There is an awful lot to gain and a frightening amount to lose" - The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on his arrival at Castle Buildings
"There has to be a commitment from the IRA - indeed from the whole republican movement in a credible manner - before we are in a position to start to deal with the issues of timing and sequence" - Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble spells out one of his party's requirements
"Despite the spin, despite the smoke and mirrors, there has been no commitment made by the republican movement to decommission in terms that would be recognised by the unionist community" - Mr Trimble
"This isn't about guns. This is about those who are against change" - Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams's response to Mr Trimble
"Let's say they exited with speed" - SDLP deputy leader Mr Seamus Mallon when asked if the Ulster Unionists walked out of the talks
"This is the third time when a concerted effort was mounted by the two prime ministers and the political parties to resolve this. The question is can this process sustain and survive a third failed attempt?" - Mr Mallon
"Late last night, unionists threw yet another Sinn Fein proposal back in our faces" - Sinn Fein's Mr Mitchel McLaughlin's post- mortem on the night's talks
"I give it 10 per cent" - Ulster Unionist deputy leader Mr John Taylor's assessment at the start of talks of the chances of an executive
"Quite frankly, it seems as if it is the unionists who are not yet on board" - US Congressman Mr Peter King's early morning assessment of the deadlock at Stormont
"When you boil it down the gap is not so monumental that it cannot be bridged" - Mr Blair's spokesman gives an optimistic ac- count of the talks, early afternoon
"It's worse than the agreement. We are expected to deal in clues and guesswork and deduction" - Ulster Unionist security spokes- man Mr Ken Maginnis
"There can be no place for those who have guns and who have used them and who have told us they will go back to what they do best" - DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley
"In broad terms, we have not had any statement, seen any statement or read any statement" - UUP MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson when asked if he had seen Sinn Fein decommissioning proposals
"Last year, the hand of history was upon our shoulder. This year, it's time it felt somebody's collar" - SDLP negotiator Mr Mark Durkan amends Mr Blair's 1998 Stormont talks soundbite