The focus on the terrible events of 25 years ago provide a stark reminder of an especially dark period and how paramilitary groups inflicted appalling bloodshed and suffering on ordinary people.
Five years after the Shankill bomb, the Greysteel massacre and all the other unjustified murders that shattered so many lives and created a climate of fear, the Good Friday Agreement was passed by a majority of people who were desperate to move forward and embrace a peaceful future.
Twenty years after the agreement and we have to acknowledge the considerable strides that have been made towards peace and stability.
Of course, there have been serious setbacks along the way. Some of those who had hoped and dreamed of a brighter future had their lives cut short by armed groups equally determined to keep us stuck in a violent past, where they could exert a measure of control.
It is a depressing fact that the paramilitary groups, so reluctant to give up the power that comes from threats and intimidation, continue to exist and continue to hold certain districts in their malign grip.
A report by the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) has found that 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement, paramilitarism remains a 'stark reality of life' in Northern Ireland.
This finding will come as no great surprise given the well documented number of barbaric paramilitary attacks that take place on a regular basis.
According to the report, nine of the most deprived wards contain at least one indicator of paramilitary activity, which can range from assaults to wall murals that glorify gunmen.
Up to £12 million in official funding has been provided to support areas vulnerable to the influence of paramilitaries, however, the report specifically warned about money getting into the hands of paramilitaries and criminals, urging robust governance to prevent this happening.
This is a warning that needs to be heeded.
For too long paramilitary groups have blighted our society. Their day is gone and they need to go also.
