Over the past few years there has been a procession of journalists to Crossmaglen. Each has been keen to ask about the nature of relationships between Catholics and Protestants in this nationalist / republican heartland. I can only represent the views of ten households in the vicinity of Crossmaglen. Because they are all known in the district and considered to be decent, helpful people they have largely been left alone, and reassurance has been provided in times of difficulty. In the republican mindset they may be seen as "different from other unionists". Despite this we should not underestimate the stress involved in living with the shadow of violence permanently on one’s doorstep.

The experience of Protestants living in Newtownhamilton, Bessbrook and Keady may be different. Factors at work elsewhere in south Armagh may be a different population balance, local aggravation on both sides, less ecumenical activity or none at all, more extreme political views, involvement in paramilitary activity, the presence of more prejudice and bigotry and less willingness to face up to the equality agenda. Both communities have suffered from the most horrendous catalogue of mostly republican paramilitary violence and an excessive military presence. Continued political dialogue and agreement to an inclusive process that will remove the gun from Irish politics is essential to the development of normal community relations.

Demilitarisation in south Armagh must mean not just the removal of the British military presence, but also the removal of those signs advocating or promoting political violence which presently disfigure the countryside. Two years ago I suggested that dialogue should begin with those responsible for puting them up, who alone should be responsible for taking them down, - but it appears that my request has fallen on deaf ears, as I am still waiting for an acknowledgement or reply to my letter!

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"Bandit Country." This is how British military and agents of the predominantly protestant RUC call a small triangle in the extreme south of the county Armagh. This is IRA territory. Both IRA and the British army are omni-present. After five years of IRA cease fire a part of the population wants to see the military leave.

The next stop is Creggan Parish Church. Rev Mervyn Kingston gives a tour around the church. His parish only has 24 members. That’s it. Kingston says that in Creggan and Crossmaglen sectarian violence is an unknown phenomenon, in contrast to a city like Belfast. The total number of Protestants in the wider area around Newry and south Armagh is only 10 per cent. You don’t find unionist political parties working actively here in Crossmaglen.

The consequence is that while local Protestants continue to vote unionist, some may feel comfortable asking the SDLP politicians to work on their behalf on ordinary constituency matters. Now that Sinn Fein is part of the Northern Ireland Executive, and is trying to put its paramilitary past behind it, I strongly expect some local Protestants to ask the Sinn Fein politicians to work for them on specific issues, where they would have experience and expertise. (The SDLP is moderately nationalistic and, like Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, is after a united Ireland.)

Mervyn Kingston knows what he is talking about. Before he came to Creggan 9 years ago, he worked on the Upper Shankill Road in the heart of loyalist west Belfast. He wants to show here that it is possible to create bridges between Catholics and Protestants. "We have been holding ecumenical services in this church since 1988. Nowadays we have five each year. The first for the Harvest celebrations, one for the Creggan local History Society and also the Sunday before St Patrick’s Day. We also have an ecumenical service especially for people who are interested in Gaelic. This includes a group of Presbyterians from Belfast who know Gaelic. They come with their Catholic friends from Clonard Monastery Belfast. They are joined by local people and also some from the Republic.

Then on 15 December each year there are Christmas carols sung in Irish". Kingston is a member of the South Down Ecumenical Group, a group that testifies what is possible in the last 30 years in south Armagh in the area of ecumenism.

Kingston is more nuanced than Peter Caraher about demilitarisation in South Armagh. He understands why the army is still present here. "If the Irish government says that it will take tough measures against republican dissidents (Real IRA and CIRA), then those are not empty words. We have to try to convince these dissidents that they have to support the peace process."

The Reverend is obviously looking forward to the day when the military posts on the hilltops disappear. He hopes that the violence is over for good now, but wants to see more evidence first. In Belfast you don’t see army on the street, but here is South Armagh the RUC cannot yet go out on the street without support from the army", he says. The Reverend emphasises that the army is not there for the protection of the small protestant community. "Protestants don’t need to be supported by the army".

Outside the church, another helicopter flies over. Kingston does not seem to notice. He has got used to it. He also finds them necessary. "In this small part of Northern Ireland alone, 240 people have been killed in the past 30 years by the IRA. 75 civilians and the rest security forces."