Michael Stone is apprehended at Stormont. Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP
News of the dramatic arrest of convicted loyalist killer Michael Stone at Stormont quickly caught the attention of bloggers this morning.
"You couldn't make this up," says Rusty Nail on the well-respected Northern Ireland blog Slugger O'Toole, going on to recite the soundbites likely to be bandied around by politicians and talking heads alike:
"'A stark reminder of the dark days of the troubles and exactly what we are trying to avoid,' 'The reality is this, that the stalemate has created a vacuum that allows for this sort of thing to happen,' 'The security arrangements will have to be reviewed, questions need [to be] asked...' you know the drill."
The picture of Stone being caught by a security guard as he tries to exit the building through a revolving door is a cause of hilarity for Livejournal blogger It's Later Than You Think, while Most Sincerely Folks notes: "The security at Stormont must have been thrown off-guard by the fact that their photo of Michael Stone shows a man with a ponytail. This is not just farce: it's spectacular farce."
