MONICA McWILLIAMS: as a senior member of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, was involved in the talks leading to the agreement
"I was one of those people who believed that the agreement was going to happen, even though when it happened it was still a surprise and a shock – and a delight. Achieving the agreement taught me the meaning of the word patience because it did take an awful long time to put it together. The last three days of negotiations were incredible. One minute a deal was on, then it was off, then it was on again. People were very stressed out, they hadn't slept, they were worn out, but at the same time the adrenaline was driving people forward.
“It was the first time the Irish government and the Irish officials were at the negotiating table and they did a fantastic job – Bertie (Ahern) was incredibly impressive and sociable; everybody felt that they knew Bertie. The Irish were especially good with the loyalists, breaking down the hostility that initially was there towards them.
“Mo Mowlam (who had cancer) was dragging around an intravenous drip; she was in her bare feet, she had no wig; she just worked herself into the ground – and she had a great sense of humour which in moments of tension helped as well.
“The food in the canteen had all stopped on Thursday. We managed to get bacon sandwiches on Good Friday but (British minister) Paul Murphy and Martin McGuinness observed their Good Friday fast – we felt on the day that was in it that God would have given us special dispensation – anyway we were starving.
“My children were very young then and now they are adults and it took practically their lifetime to embed the agreement.