Has everyone gone mad? Seriously, though. Sinn Féin’s chairman Declan Kearney is reported as having “challenged republicans to say ‘sorry’ - not for the IRA war, but for the hurt caused by all its armed actions”. Very commendable, very helpful but totally unoriginal. Republicans have been saying for years now that they’re sorry the conflict happened, that life was lost. That’s not the same as saying they think their armed campaign was a mistake or misguided or even immoral, anymore than any armed conflict in history has been immoral. But they regret the suffering and deep pain that people - everyone involved - had to suffer.