1.   Mr Gallagher, a SinnFein member, was the first of six men murdered by loyalist gunmen in the past two days.

2.   Sinn Fein activist Sheena Campbell, from Craigavon, was assassinated by a masked loyalist gunman in the south Belfast hotel.

3.   The West Belfast MP attended the funeral of shopkeeper Michael Edwards, shot dead by loyalist gunmen on Friday, before travelling to Stormont for the crisis talks.

4.   If the security forces are thick on the ground and loyalist gunmen commit murder it is the result of collusion.

5.   If the security forces are not present and loyalist gunmen commit murder it is still the result of collusion.

6.   And there is always the danger that loyalist gunmen will try to provoke retaliation.

7.   But loyalist gunmen who once backed his rhetoric with gunfire are now firmly opposed to him.

8.   Catholic nationalists seem less skeptical of claims from former loyalist gunmen that they want to confine their fighting to the democratic arena.