It is a feature of most forms of mountain-climbing that reaching the peak always takes far longer than might be anticipated by line of sight. Behind one steep and arduous slope there is usually another. The Irish peace process has been of that character, and has required the constant and highly motivated engagement not only of government leaders, but also of teams of officials, to whom no short cuts are available, and whose effectiveness depends heavily on the respect and trust that they can establish. (As I shall go on to explain, the term ‘mountain-climber’ has a somewhat different and more specific connotation in the British context.)

Ireland does not have a political intelligence service. The Gardaí and the Defence Forces engage in intelligence-gathering related to their security tasks. Such work was vital to national survival during the Second World War, and one must presume, even though the history will not be written for many years, that it has saved many lives and thwarted many paramilitary attacks during the thirty-year Troubles that began in 1969. All governments need the best available information on situations, and on the intentions of other parties involved, whether domestic or foreign, to guide their policy- and decision-making. Ireland has had to rely on conventional political and diplomatic methods, and to develop its information-gathering and more proactive powers of persuasion to a high level, not having available to it the short cuts or covert methods or the direct power routinely deployed by many of its larger partners.

There are gains as well as losses. Diplomacy seeks to win trust and respect, as a means to influence and to secure cooperation. One of the ways it can do so is by showing respect for others. The interception of communications, the purchase of influence, the use of agents, deniable military interventions often at arm's length, collusion with or support for insurrectionary armed groups, and covert interference in the internal politics of sovereign countries, which may lead to or involve a multitude of illegal or unethical acts, sometimes even assassination, are all factors that add to much wariness and suspicion in international relations. Fear and suspicion of others’ intentions are often the root cause of failure to achieve or sustain rational compromise.