The lack of reporting of The Troubles in GB never ceased to amaze me.

I grew up in the 90s, so I missed the worst of it, but I remember just how little of our news featured nationally. There would be deaths, sometimes in large numbers from single terrorist incidents, but you'd never know from the coverage national broadcasters gave it. But if a lone gunman shot and injured someone in Brixton, it was worth talking about.

I'm wary of a pissing contest over 'my bad news was worse than your bad news' - it was all tragic and heartbreaking - but it was hard not to notice and wonder if anyone outside NI really cared. Recent developments in Westminster continue to clarify those sentiments.

As for your second question: no, I don't think it will ever get nearly as bad as it was.

Anti-terrorist intelligence is better, paramilitary networks are weaker and they simply don't have the same support from local communities.

There will always be a few with blood-tinted glasses that romanticise the past, and should economic hardships increase in NI there may be more corruptible minds driven by desperation to listen; but that's not a uniquely Northern Irish problem.

I think a good deal of the current chatter of reprisals is purely political rhetoric coming from our two largest parties - hoping that 'fear of the other' will once again get them votes ahead of next year's election.