The first sign that the publication of a proposed deal was imminent came shortly before nine o’clock on Thursday night, when a coalition of around 12 representatives from the business, farming, trade union and other sectors emerged from a meeting with the five main parties in a “buoyant mood”.
The “coalition of Northern Ireland society”, as Derry businessman Gavin Killeen styled it, was there to tell politicians a “deal needs to be done. This needs to happen, and we’re here to support you.”
Addressing reporters following the meeting, Redmond McFadden, of the chamber of commerce in Derry, said that while “nothing is confirmed at this stage” and the next hours would prove to be “crucial”, the group were leaving in a “buoyant mood”.
“We had a very positive meeting with the parties,” he said, “and we look forward to the reinstitution of the government in the very near future.”
Among the politicians, he said, there was a “genuine willingness to achieve something over the next few hours, not only from the parties but from both of the governments as well”.
If the deal was delivered “in the near future”, he said, “we would ask all of the community to get behind the deal and to support our politicians.”
Reporters had learned just before 9pm that the three smaller parties were being briefed about the government’s best read of what would constitute a fair agreement – an indication that the prospect of a deal was imminent.
Workable agreement
The DUP and Sinn Féin had been briefed over Wednesday night and into Thursday morning on the contents of the British and Irish governments’ estimate of what would constitute a reasonable and workable agreement.
The three smaller parties – the SDLP, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Alliance – were, however, not given any information on the detail of the text.
Shortly before 5pm, Alliance Assembly member Kellie Armstrong told reporters gathered in the great hall of Parliament Buildings that the British and Irish governments were scheduled to show her party’s negotiators the text of the proposed deal at 5pm.
This indicated one of two things, she said: either the “two parties [the DUP and Sinn Féin] have come to an agreement or the governments have said, ‘take it or leave it’”.
Ms Armstrong said she was “optimistic a deal will be done because to not do it is unthinkable”.
This immediately raised expectations that an agreement was about to be announced by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Northern Secretary Julian Smith.
The SDLP and UUP, however, quickly informed journalists that they were unaware of any such briefing.
It later transpired that briefing was yet to happen and that Ms Armstrong was premature in anticipating the 5pm update, though she made her comment in good faith.
‘Frustration’
While the smaller parties complained of “frustration” at not being kept up to date and while the confusion triggered some speculation that the talks were in trouble, other senior sources remained quite positive about the prospects of a deal.
Sources said most of the text of the document was settled but that there were “presentational problems” that in particular were causing anxiety for the DUP.
“I think it is a matter of presentation rather than substance; I don’t think there is any sense that things are beginning to fall apart,” said one well-placed source.
Some difficulties remained over the Irish language and the petition of concern, the mechanism whereby motions can be vetoed in the Assembly even if they have majority support.
On Thursday evening DUP officers and Assembly members and MPs convened to discuss and be briefed on the governments’ proposals.
The DUP speaker of the Assembly, Robin Newton, and his staff also were at Stormont on Thursday evening as the talks continued to try to finalise a deal.
By 9pm it was all but done: the Northern Secretary and the Tánaiste would speak to reporters just after half past nine.
