An bhfuil ár lá ag teacht? Is democratic society, North and South, on the cusp of agreeing to the same rules of parliamentary engagement at long last where paramilitary armies are a thing of the past?
These are the big imponderables after the 30 hours of intensive negotiations between the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister and the pro-Belfast Agreement parties in Hillsborough Castle. The outlook seems positive, if the outcome is unclear.
Mr Blair and Mr Ahern travelled to Hillsborough to bring completion, once and for all, to all issues outstanding under the Agreement. These are the self-same issues which have bedevilled the peace process for almost five years: decommissioning, policing, demilitarisation and the stability of the political institutions. In one form or another, they have poisoned the political process - both within and without parties - and damaged the trust necessary to underpin the prospect of real progress.
It remains to be seen whether the "shared understanding" reached by Mr Ahern and Mr Blair in the early hours of yesterday morning can bring a chapter of disruptive stops-and-starts to a close. All parties, especially the Ulster Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, entered the current round of negotiations determined to see the small print before they would sign up. To do anything else now would store up problems for the future.
What is emerging, in the immediate aftermath of the latest round of talks, is a shared understanding on all acts of completion. Mr Blair spoke of a breakthrough; Mr Ahern was more circumspect. The focus of the reaction would suggest that the nucleus of a deal has been struck on the major questions of decommissioning, demilitarisation, policing and criminal justice. The matters still outstanding seem comparatively minor: the sanctions to be imposed on those defaulting on their commitments under the Agreement, and the on-the-runs (OTRs).
The proposal for a new independent monitoring body, comprising representatives of the Irish and British governments, Northern Ireland and the United States, which would recommend to the Northern Secretary of State when a party acts outside the principle of exclusively peaceful means, seems a reasonably safe sanction, if the body has to act with unanimity. If so, will it not protect against the tradition of the post-dated letter threatening resignation if there is no suspension of the political institutions?
Notwithstanding Mr Trimble's hasty departure, it would appear that a final deal is in the making. It is imperative now that the participants hold their nerve. The full implementation of the Agreement in all its aspects, including the security of the political institutions, has eluded the parties for almost five years. Acts of completion will allow it to develop its potential. Calls for the last compromise on purely pragmatic matters must be evaluated against the big prize of normal politics, normal policing and a normal peaceful life in Northern Ireland.