What does the next generation - some not even teenagers at the time of the Belfast Agreement - dare to think of 1998? John Heaneyreports.
THOSE WHO witnessed the harsh realities of the Troubles know plainly the momentous change brought about by the accord struck so dramatically at Stormont in 1998.
But what do today's young adults make of the deal that was forged in their name? For them violence, political stalemate and ceasefires is the stuff of history rather than life experience.
The Irish Times asked a selection of young adults from across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland to comment on how they feel about the agreement, what memories they have of that momentous event from their early teenage years. Some speak of what changes they might have made to the document itself.
While many view 1998 as a "seminal moment", for others it represented "the lowest ebb in Northern Ireland's history".
The prevailing sentiment, even among those who vociferously oppose the agreement, is one of hope and optimism. In all, there is a clear sense of expectation, of new possibility and relief.
More than anything else, they express a calm acceptance that the tide of change signalled in the Good Friday agreement will continue to carry Northern Ireland towards a brighter, safer future.
GAVIN BOYD (22),
SDLP Youth
I think a lot of people of my age take the current situation for granted. They probably don't have a proper sense of the atrocities that actually happened, and there might be a tendency among some to romanticise the things that went on before, not having witnessed the actual horror of the reality.
But I do think they appreciate the less stringent control of their lives than when they were younger.
The only real sticking point for me within the conditions of the agreement was the early release of prisoners.
MICHAEL SHILLIDAY (23),
Young Unionists
I don't actually have so many memories of that time. I must have only been in third year, if I remember correctly, and one of the things I actually do remember is sitting around the lunch table and talking to friends about whether we were going to walk out of school or not because Martin McGuinness had just been made minister for education. As I remember we didn't, but there certainly were plenty who did.
On balance, I suppose the Belfast agreement was generally a positive step - I mean, I don't think you're going to find any unionist who will tell you that the agreement was some marvellous thing - but all in all I suppose it was a step forward for Northern Ireland.
BARRY MCCOLGAN (23),
Ógra Sinn Féin
I know today I would be in contact with a lot more young people, and have a lot more friends, from the unionist background.
At college in Belfast there's a more open atmosphere between people from the different communities than would previously have been the case. Even recently when Raymond McCord came to the Ard Fheis, when he put on his sash, instead of people jeering him he was applauded for his bravery in coming down.
Obviously, as a republican I see the Good Friday agreement as a temporary agreement - a part of our strategy in gaining a united Ireland.
THOMAS HOGG (19),
Queen's University Democratic
Unionist Association
I was nine years old at the time and obviously don't have many political memories from that time, but speaking as someone whose family has a long history of service in the security forces, I think it was unforgivable that the Ulster Unionist Party adopted such a weak stance when dealing with republicans and am thankful that now we have a unionist leadership that has pushed Sinn Féin far further than they ever wanted to be pushed.
From a unionist point of view, the Belfast Agreement represented the lowest ebb in Northern Ireland's history.
I am pleased that under the DUP we have clawed back much of the lost ground and are now much more secure inside the United Kingdom.
GEORGINA RYAN WHITE (20),
Queen's University Fianna Fáil Society
People my age might not appreciate the changes over the last decade as much as older people. I'm from Dublin - I'm studying in Belfast - but when I discuss it with my housemates, and they talk about when there were roadblocks, and no-go areas, they say they didn't really understand what was happening. It was more their parents who experienced the brunt of those times. But we've gained so much from the agreement, with the economic growth and everything that's come from it, that I feel we're very lucky to be growing up at this time.
STEWART FINN (26),
Progressive Unionist Party
I was 13-years-old when the ceasefires were signed, and 16 when the agreement came about - so people of my age are really thinking, "What took you so long? Get on with the real stuff now."
I do remember the night it came across on the radio; the whole family was in the car, and there was a feeling of absolute disbelief, and relief at the same time. Although of course there's many changes I personally would have liked to see in the agreement, the beauty of it was that one person or party didn't write it and everybody was involved - inclusivity is the reason it worked.
STEPHEN MARTIN (23),
The Alliance Party
Young people understand that Northern Ireland's economic boom is all tied up with the progress stemming from the agreement.
There're things to do, there's entertainment, people aren't as afraid to go out and socialise, and that's all related to the "feel-good-factor" from the Good Friday Agreement, and the peace that came with it.
One negative thing though is that a lot of young people are still very apathetic.
The nature of politics here still turns them off.
People appreciate that we're in a peaceful situation but are still anxious not to get involved in normal politics, or join a political party.
I suppose that's a hangover from the Troubles. When young people hear the word 'politics', it's a dirty word; they don't want to get involved.
LORRAINE KEOWN (23),
Trainee solicitor
I was only 13 at the time of the agreement, but I remember it being all over the TV. I remember sitting watching it all with my older sister, and though I suppose I didn't particularly understand what was going on, I was old enough to know that it was definitely something significant, and that it was going to have a big impact on how things were going to continue in the future.
Even though the significance of it might have been slightly lost in the sense that things did stall for a long number of years, you'll always associate that big step forward with the Good Friday Agreement - rather than the St Andrew's agreement - given that it drew such an emphatic line underneath everything that went before.