There was no euphoria, only a feeling of exhaustion among the pro-Belfast Agreement parties after they completed their latest session of negotiations at Hillsborough Castle.
As they huddled in the doorway of a makeshift centre to listen to Prime Minister Tony Blair's version of events, many of the major players in the peace process looked jaded at the end of a day of tough talking, spin and counter-spin.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness hovered behind Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble while the Taoiseach Mr Ahern and UK Prime Minister Mr Blair led the cheerleading for the process.
But as the parties gave their own analysis of events, there was no sense of any great closing of the gaps.
"I wouldn't classify it is a great leap forward or even a leap sideways. It's more of a feeling of potential," one participant reflected.
Others described the Irish and British governments' statement as a "holding position" - an admission that agreement on the issues of decommissioning, demilitarisation, policing and the devolved institutions is not possible until after the British general election.
"Don't mention the word soft landing," a unionist source said.
"There is no real sense that a deal being possible until after the general election. The SDLP is not ready to move on policing and the IRA has only really moved back to re-engagement with the decommissioning body. It will be the quality of that re-engagement that matters.
"But at least we have an even clearer idea today of when this election is going to be. Everybody is talking about movement by June, so I don't think it's rocket science figuring the Prime Minister wants to go to the country in May."
PA