In June last year, the Sinn Féin leadership, along with around 2,000 others lining the streets, attended the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey in west Belfast.
Few could have imagined that almost a year on, the fallout from that event would still be reverberating, not just in political terms but also at the highest levels of policing and justice.
The latest official report on the funeral and how it was handled was published yesterday by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and while it found there were grounds for criticism, they were not at the level that would require the censure of individual officers or resignations.
The report found that the PSNI prioritised public security over enforcement of Covid-19 regulations without showing bias.
Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr said: "The PSNI faced the complex challenge of policing a politically-sensitive funeral while also trying to interpret the confusing Covid-19 regulations.
"The service took a sensitive approach, and ultimately achieved what it set out to do - prioritising public security over compliance with the regulations.''
The inspectorate also agreed with the decision not to prosecute the Sinn Féin representatives saying that due to the complex and frequently changing Covid-19 regulations, it was not confident there was enough evidence to prove that any of the attendees at the funeral had knowingly committed an offence.
This report will undoubtedly be viewed with a sense of relief by the chief constable Simon Byrne.
In many ways, his position has been vindicated and will reinforce the belief that those who demanded his resignation, including First Minister Arlene Foster, were unjustified in their response.
The DUP defended its criticism yesterday, with Policing Board member Mervyn Storey saying: "Without a clear plan and decisive action by the PSNI to restore trust, the damage may soon be irreparable.''
What this review underlines is that senior officers were placed in an extremely difficult position in relation to policing this funeral.
Unionist comments about irreparable damage are clearly not helpful, particularly as officers face a challenging period in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol protests.
Some may prefer the focus of this controversy to be directed at the PSNI, or the Public Prosecution Service for deciding not to bring this matter to court.
Ultimately, however, responsibility has to lie with Sinn Féin, which participated in a large-scale funeral at a time when bereaved families were facing severe restrictions.
