Greater chance for peace in Northern Ireland

I don't know much about the situation in Northern Ireland, but news sources are saying today that a significant step towards peace was taken recently:

Sitting side by side for the first time in history, the leaders of Northern Ireland's major Protestant and Catholic parties announced a stunning deal Monday to forge a power-sharing administration May 8.

The breakthrough followed unprecedented face-to-face negotiations between the Protestants of Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party and the Catholics of Gerry Adams' Sinn Fein.

The two foes, who previously negotiated only via third parties, sat beside each other at a table in the main dining room in Stormont Parliamentary. [More...]

A fuller account is available here.