The state papers released this week, reflecting events in Northern Ireland in the late 1990s, serve as a reminder of how difficult that period was in our history.
The peace process was a work in progress, with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998 and its subsequent endorsement by referendums on both sides of the border, providing a degree of optimism that a brighter future lay ahead.
But the backdrop around this time was still one of bloodshed, disorder and heightened tensions.
Parading was a major area of contention with the Drumcree protests having a seriously destabilising impact on the north, with loyalist paramilitaries in particular using this issue as an excuse to carry out appalling sectarian attacks.
Among those engaging in brutal and horrific violence during this period were thugs and gangsters led by notorious figure Billy Wright, who has been linked to an estimated 20 murders.
He was shot dead by the INLA in the Maze Prison in December 1997, sparking a wave of killings that left at least 15 people dead and others injured over the following four months.
Twenty-five years on, a public show of support has taken place at his graveside which has caused upset and disgust among those whose loved ones were targeted by the LVF and the Mid-Ulster UVF, led by Wright.
It is accepted that family and friends are entitled to remember their dead but any commemoration event - should it be loyalist or republican - must be sensitive to the feelings of victims and should never be used to glorify violence.
The fact that loyalists were encouraged to attend an anniversary tribute to Billy Wright at his grave in Seagoe cemetery, Portadown on Tuesday, is clearly a matter of concern to victims and their families.
In an address at the cemetery, Pastor Kenny McClinton, a friend of Wright, used language that was entirely inappropriate and deeply hurtful to those who have suffered at the hands of this killer and his supporters.
He termed Wright as 'Ulster's Braveheart' and claimed he was a 'martyr', completely ignoring the despicable crimes carried out by this man and the lasting pain he and his followers inflicted.
That we are hearing this type of message on the cusp of 2023, when we should be focused on building a more positive society for all, is profoundly depressing.
