There seems to be this ridiculous narrative within British and Irish Government circles that Stormont talks can painfully drag on, eventually the difficulties will be resolved.

Over 13 months since Sinn Féin turned lights out ‘on the hill’, the issue of an Irish Language Act has been one of – if not the main – obstacle(s) to agreement. Had it not been the Irish language this time around it’s hard to escape the conclusion that something else would have held devolution to ransom. The DUP-Sinn Féin marriage, loveless since its outset, has finally reached the point of no return.

The deal that wasn’t would have been a tough one to sell for DUP leader Arlene Foster given her party’s long held narrative that Sinn Féin have been the objectors to progress, and that they’d never have their Irish language act; any compromise would be set  for failure in the eyes of the observing wider unionist community. Given that since last June’s general election power has lied decisively with Mrs Foster’s 10 Westminster MPs, compromise on her watch against their wishes would have made redundant her already near mere symbolic leadership position.

The reality now is that both parties have bigger fish to fry; the DUP as powerbrokers at Westminster and Sinn Féin under new leadership looking at things on an all-island approach. What does it matter to them if Stormont is placed in cold storage? Direct rule with DUP input looks to be the ideal scenario for unionists. As for nationalists, the way Brexit negotiations are going a border poll in the not too distant future isn’t an impossibility.

So where do we go now? For the British and Irish governments focused on Brexit, Northern Ireland is the unwanted love child stuck in the middle; neither wants this sort of quasi direct rule to go on forever. Whether or not we see a re-introduction of direct rule in earnest, or a joint governance approach with Dublin, it’s time to put us all out of our misery.