welcome to belfast and the lyric theatre where tonight, the play agreement will mark a moment 25 years ago that changed every aspect of life here in northern ireland forever the signing of the good friday or belfast agreement. it brought peace to northern ireland, but it has been an imperfect peace. the agreement guaranteed power sharing in government between nationalist and unionist communities. but for more than a third of its lifetime, there hasn t been a sitting government at stormont. these halls at the lyric have captured huge moments of symbolism both big and small. ten years ago, martin mcguinness, northern ireland s former deputy first minister, a former ira commander, shook hands with queen elizabeth here, a moment that would have once been unimaginable. and it is moments like that that people will be looking out for this evening when president biden arrives. here in northern ireland, words matter, and people will be looking to president biden s speech to see ho
and it is moments like that that people will be looking out for this evening when president biden arrives. here in northern ireland, words matter, and people will be looking to president biden s speech to see how he will address the political stalemate. with me now is mary kelly, a bbc producer in northern ireland in 1998. jayne mccormack is a bbc northern ireland political correspondent. dr clare rice is a northern ireland politics specialist from the university of liverpool. mary, take us back. all those years ago, it was a knife edge situation. there was a deadline as well. how did it feel? there was a deadline as well. how did it feel? that there was a deadline as well. how did it feel? that was there was a deadline as well. how did it feel? that was a there was a deadline as well. firm did it feel? that was a deadline. george mitchell, the american senator chairing the talks, insisted on a deadline to make sure he could focus attention and focus people s desire to get thin