Ireland's Littlest Martyrs

BELFAST: Martyrs are legion on both sides of Northern Ireland's age-old conflict, but the three Catholic children buried Tuesday may prove to be martyrs for a greater cause -- peaceful coexistence. "The Drumcree standoff and the murder of the children have isolated the hard-liners within the Unionist community," says TIME London bureau chief Barry Hillenbrand. "A lot of people within the Orange Order who were prepared to protest for the right to march in Drumcree have backed off and urged compromise, saying no road is worth a life."

The tragedy has also strengthened the resolve of the British government and the majority of Catholics and Protestants to work together to face down the extremist challenge: "There's still a lot of ugliness out there," says Hillenbrand, "but the good news is that the political mechanisms have worked." The triumph of the peace accord won't bring back Richard, Mark and Jason Quinn, but it would be a fitting tribute to them.