The Drumcree stand-off is continuing at the time of writing but whatever the outcome, one thing is clear: it has been a bad week for Northern Ireland and also for those impatient for a united Ireland.

Everyone has contributed their bit. The Parades Commission didn’t consider the original application from the Orange Order properly, leaving the decision open to legal challenge. When that challenge was successful, the commission overcompensated by allowing a limited, 8am version: too much for Garvaghy Road residents, who – along with their allies – took to the street in not-an-inch style. Faced with the prospect of forcibly removing the protesters, the police blocked the march.

Both sides accused each other of seeking to bring back the bad old days. Now the future of the powersharing administration and the assembly is under threat, as both Sinn Féin and the DUP, with an election in the middle distance, scurry away from compromise towards the sanctuary of their respective bases. Remember, both are under political pressure; both have benefited from the polarised nature of Northern Ireland elections, which has made them top dogs on each side. There is a political logic to being hardline. It’s all politics, not leadership.

The political and social consequences of the revived dispute for the North will reveal themselves over time. For the prospect of a united Ireland, however, they are already discernible and damaging – among both northern and southern voters.

Three decades of progress should not be taken for granted

Michael McLoughlin: Founder member of North’s civil rights movement and housing........

© The Irish Times