Sandra Chapman: Is our history about to be re-written or will my pooch and I just keep walking?

The month of February is now with us so surely the weather should be thinking of improving. My goodness, it was warmer than this at Christmas.

But, hey, it’s not all bad. Our politicians – not the weather - are providing the news headlines with one large daily declaring that “Sinn Fein claims reunification within reach”. I have to say the thought of a first nationalist first minister - a woman to boot – throws me somewhat.

That’s one for the history books but did Mary Lou have to take a prominent role too? Can these Sinn Fein women in the north not do something for themselves without Mary Lou seeming to take some of the glory?

The other vital bit of news was that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP leader, announced that the party executive had accepted Rishi Sunak’s Irish Sea border offer which, The Daily Telegraph declared, “paves the way for the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly in the coming days”.

Well, my dog and I talk about a lot of stuff when we’re out on our daily walks. I decided to introduce her to a political question. What did she think of Rishi Sunak’s border offer? Now she’s a sensible dog. She often turns her head to give me a smile and a hug. But that wasn’t her reaction to the news.

If the sea in front of her hadn’t been so rough I suspect she would have gone and drowned her sorrows in it. I think she doesn’t like those loud, southern Irish drawly accents. Or maybe it’s just Mary Lou who has a particularly loud way of saying things.

The sound is enough to frighten any dog never mind the children.

Then there was all that spy-type stuff before the decisions were made when secrets were being handed over the air. A mole had been detected which doesn’t say much for the unionists attitude to security.

Mary Lou probably runs a very tight ship when it comes to secrets. She smiled a lot but left the talking to one Michelle O’Neill who if she would just slow down her diction we could all know better what she’s saying.

I could see my precious pooch paying no attention to this train-fast diction. Like the rest of us she may probably have to get used to it.

Like any sensible pooch mine is very good at retreating to her bed when something annoys her. Loud speaking voices are not her thing. She was after all retrieved from cruel dog thieves.

And so our politicians, men and women amongst them, are about to stamp on new political ground, sharing the top seat with a woman, a more recent achievement, and it’s quite possible my beloved four-legged pal will approve.

After all she’s a female too.

For the unionists it’s all about saving the union. For Mary Lou and her pupil Michelle O’Neill it’s that Northern Ireland will continue to follow EU rules and Ireland will become a united country.

It’s possible neither will win their goals. Meanwhile my beloved four-legged friend and me will just keep on walking and talking.