​Northern Ireland has not always been good at accepting and embracing differences or acknowledging the brilliance in our collective variances.

​Yet it is in our variety that our greatest strength as a population lies, which is arguably in our resilience.

As the renowned and well-respected theologian and spiritual advisor to the late Prince Philip, Professor Martin Palmer, eloquently pointed out last month, “as a people, you have endured so much”, and “found your way out of extreme darkness to an imperfect but seemingly sustainable peace”.

One of our greatest tasks as a country is how we deal with modern political issues, such as Lough Neagh and the blue-green algae crisis.