A big whoop erupted when Johnny Adair jumped out of the prison van outside Maghaberry Prison shortly after 8 a.m. yesterday. There to welcome him were all six UDA commanders plus foot-soldiers, and acolytes thrilled to have their hero returned to their midst.
This modern-day loyalist icon is back on the street as sectarian violence flares almost nightly in north Belfast and is spreading to east Belfast, and nicely in advance of Drumcree and the rest of the marching season. Have no concerns though, Mr Adair is a man of peace, we were assured.
Mr Adair, bearing his prison bag and dressed in white and red T-shirt, blue jeans and beige baseball cap beamed a big smile, raised his fist in triumph, shouted the UDA slogan "Quis Separabit", and strolled over to greet the 300 loyalists rushing to greet him.
"Ya all right, Johnny," they said. "Ya all right lad." Swamped by the media, his supporters and huge Union Jacks and UDA flags, there was much backslapping and hand clasping.
Mr Adair did not speak to the press but John White, the former chairman of the Ulster Democratic Party, was in reassuring mode: "I believe that Johnny Adair will make a positive contribution to the peace process, that he will use the endeavours he used prior to the ceasefire to help bring calm in many parts of the province.
"I believe that he will bring about opportunities for peaceful resolution to many of the outstanding issues that are causing difficulties within this province. I just want to say one thing, and that is there is a great degree of fear within the nationalist community. The nationalist community have nothing to fear from Johnny Adair. Johnny Adair will be a force for good within this province."
Mr White also depicted Mr Adair as a victim of injustice. Mr Adair was unfairly kept in prison while many ex-republican prisoners engaged in a "pogrom" against Protestants in north and east Belfast, was his view.
After the press conference Mr Adair attended a street party in his home area, the lower Shankill. He was also due to fly out for a sunshine holiday.