As the first anniversary of the Omagh bombing approached, the "evil bastards" who committed the atrocity should think long and hard before resorting to such violence again, the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party has said.
Mr David Ervine, speaking in Blennerville, Co Kerry, added, however, that yesterday's statement by the IRA showed signs of "positivity" in that it was the first statement in five which appeared to explain the IRA's position to the nationalist community - whereas so often in the past that community had been ignored by the IRA.
Mr Ervine was in Blennerville to see work in progress on the Famine ship replica - the Jeanie Johnston - which involves cross-Border co-operation between young people from all traditions.
"The IRA statement is important in that it's the first of five that does not appear to contain negativity. In fact it could be read as containing some positive aspects. That positivity is important as well." Asked if he believed the IRA assertion that its ceasefire was intact, Mr Ervine said he did.
He believed that the loyalist ceasefires would hold. The atmosphere in the peace process had become "polluted" Mr Ervine added, but that did not mean the process could not be brought to a successful conclusion.
"I would hope that people will be circumspect with their language just now. Of course the process can work. We have a railroad with the tracks laid - all we need to do now is get the train on the tracks" he said, adding that there was a will for peace and it was up to the politicians to make it happen.
During his visit to Kerry at the behest of the Jeanie Johnston committee, Mr Ervine met trainees from his East Belfast constituency who were working on the project as well as those from other parts of Northern Ireland. He said any day that two people from opposite traditions met in a spirit of co-operation and friendship was a good day.
Commending the Jeanie Johnston project, he described it as a quiet example of how cross-Border initiatives could work for the good of all. So far, 50 young people from across Northern Ireland have participated in the project. The completed ship would be a sign of peace, Mr Ervine said.
The Jeanie Johnston sailed from Blennerville between 1848 and 1856. It brought thousands of Irish emigrants to the New World and was unique in that it never lost a passenger to disease or to the sea during 16 transatlantic crossings. The millennium project will see a replica of the ship sail again next April for North America.
There will be 40 people on board, including crew and 12 paying passengers, who will spend £10,000 each to relive what the emigrants experienced.
The voyage will take four to five weeks and when the Jeanie Johnston arrives in Washington DC - its first port of call - President Clinton will meet it.
After that, the ship will visit 20 US and Canadian cities.
On its return voyage, there will be visits to Derry, Belfast and Dublin, where civic receptions will be held, then it will weigh anchor at Blennerville, where it will become a floating museum and interpretive centre.