“The most unreasonable of the unreasonable of the unreasonable. In the premier league of unreasonableness.” That was Tony Blair’s assessment of Brendan McKenna, a spokesman for Garvaghy Road residents during some of the darkest days at Drumcree, Portadown.

A prime minister defined by his pragmatism and willingness to see compromise in Northern Ireland, Mr Blair saw the stark limits of good will over certain contentious parades.

On Saturday, for the first time since 2013, three Ligoniel Orange Lodges were allowed to finish their traditional parading route passing a section of the Crumlin road in north Belfast after a decision by the Parades Commission had ruled against it, deeming it too contentious.

Thanks to a newfound understanding between the Orange Order and the Crumlin Ardoyne Residents’ Association (CARA), the Parades Commission had grounds to reverse the ban. Camp Twaddell, set up by loyalists in protest to the 2013 ruling, was dismantled thereafter.

The parade passed peacefully, but support for the deal was not unanimous. Opposition came from the Greater Ardoyne Residents’ Collective (GARC) who made known their dissent in confronting prominent Catholic priest Fr Gary Donegan, who had taken part in the talks.

History will commend CARA who agreed to the deal when they didn’t stand much to gain.

This was a shortsighted decision to turn on a man who had done much for the residents of Ardoyne since the days of the Holy Cross dispute, when he walked alongside young school girls past loyalist protestors. Their aggressive approach showed there is a thin line between airing your grievances through dialogue and showing utter contempt for a man outnumbered.

The whole affair raises issues surrounding the out-workings of our democracy. In the first instance, the Parades Commission – a quasi-judicial non-departmental body with not a single vote cast in its name – had the authority to halt the parade three years on end.

Secondly, it is difficult to discern the true thoughts of the majority of Ardoyne residents; a small minority was invited to negotiations that preceded the deal, ultimately undermining the deliberative processes which, to work, demand that all members concerned are included.

Whilst we will only be able to measure the success of the agreement with hindsight, there is much to be celebrated. Financial benefits will follow the PSNI’s scaling back of its costly presence at the flashpoint.

It proves accommodation can be reached between communities with opposing values and beliefs. And it demonstrates that deliberative dialogue, even in the most difficult of context, is more than just a nice, fluffy theory.

History will commend CARA who agreed to the deal when they didn’t stand much to gain.

Equally, hats-off to the Loyal Orders for their willingness to sign the deal blindfolded, given they have no guarantees over forthcoming parades.

After years of impasse and, arguably, a lack of leadership on the part of elected representatives, these local communities deserve real credit.

There is much to be learned by the deal that was brokered between the two communities. Let’s hope this is the start of something new for grass roots politics here; a hard-won example of reasonableness trumping unreasonableness.