Those issues have, in Sinn Féin’s world, conflated with Irish-language and marriage equality legislation. In the alternative but equally bizarre universe inhabited by the Democratic Unionist Party attitudes hardened. Emboldened by their newfound leverage as House of Commons kingmakers — and Theresa May’s €1.1bn bung — they felt it unnecessary to feed the crocodiles.

Interpretations of how this impasse is sustained are subjective but the consequences of contrived paralysis are all too obvious, especially as Brexit negotiators finally have a date with reality. The people of the North, who voted to remain in the EU have no meaningful representation as the DUP has put its party-tribal instincts ahead of the democratically expressed wish of the people it purports to represent.

Then doublethink is one of the characteristics of the North’s political life— as Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire’s successor will discover. Mr Brokenshire has resigned for health reasons but it is hard to imagine that a bright Tory 40-something would look on Stormont as anything other than a Garden of Gethsemane posting — one to be endured more in hope rather than expectation.

Another example of doublespeak was in play yesterday when Sinn Féin dealt with the Kingsmill debacle. Less than two months ago Sinn Féin ard fheis delegates cheered to the rafters when MP Elisha McCallion, 35, told her audience that Martin McGuinness was a proud member of the IRA. 

Challenged on the issue, Gerry Adams said that he didn’t see any glorification of terrorism at the ard fheis — he may have missed the knick knack stalls selling Provo memorabilia — underlining again his unique ability to interpret our world through his particular prism. Naturally, the DUP warned the “glorification of terrorism” makes compromise difficult.

The same issue arose when SF MP Barry McElduff posted a video of himself with a loaf of Kingsmill bread on his head on the 42nd anniversary of the Kingsmill massacre when 10 Protestants were murdered after they were separated from their Catholic co-workers. Ethnic cleansing Irish style. McCallion’s reference to McGuinness’s IRA career was celebrated yet McElduff’s “inexcusable and indefensible” behaviour — so said SF chairperson Declan Kearney — has provoked a three-month suspension. 

Once again SF shows its inconsistent behaviour is defined by public perception rather than by principle and that it is as indifferent to the accusations of hypocrisy as Mr Adams is to the glorification of terrorism. Adding to SF’s woes was yesterday’s Press Ombudsman ruling not upholding a complaint from Mr Adams about his comments on a murder in Louth in 1991.

Taken alone none of these issues is insurmountable but they conspire in a way that makes the optimism of recent years begin to look like a false dawn. How very sad.