Northern Ireland is marking the 28th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement with a mood far removed from the optimism that surrounded the accord when it was signed on 10 April 1998.
The agreement, which helped bring the Troubles to an end, was seen at the time as a political breakthrough of rare significance. It ushered in a period of peace that has endured and has since been cited internationally as a model for resolving conflict.
But 28 years on, the picture at Stormont is much less reassuring. Feuding between the main parties, alongside the strain of failing public services, is undermining public faith in the devolved system.
The sense of drift has led to renewed concern about whether power sharing is functioning as intended. The very model that was designed to balance competing traditions and keep government inclusive is now being questioned amid widespread frustration.
The Good Friday agreement was once described in near-visionary terms, a moment of political leadership that changed the course of Northern Ireland’s history. In contrast, the anniversary arrives with little of that celebration. Instead, there is a growing feeling that no one is clearly in charge.
That perception matters because the agreement’s credibility has always depended not only on peace, but on practical government. Stormont was meant to show that deeply divided communities could still share power and provide stable administration. When public services falter and parties clash, confidence in that promise weakens.
For many in Northern Ireland, the concern is not simply political symbolism. It is the everyday experience of what government does, or fails to do, for schools, hospitals and other services that shape daily life. When those systems creak, the wider legitimacy of devolved politics is affected.
The 28th anniversary therefore comes at a difficult moment for Northern Ireland’s institutions. The agreement remains a landmark in peacebuilding, and its role in ending violence is not in doubt. But the current mood suggests that the mechanics of power sharing are under increasing pressure.
What was once celebrated as a miracle of political leadership is now being measured against the harder realities of governing. That contrast lies at the heart of this year’s uneasy anniversary.
