Today we conclude our countdown of the 100 most significant moments in the decade. You can submit your choices for most memorable moments in our comments section below.

10 HOLY CROSS SCHOOL BLOCKADE

Even by our standards, the loyalist blockade of the Holy Cross Primary School in Ardoyne for five months in 2001/02 was almost surreal. The cause of the dispute is still unclear, but tension had been simmering in the area for some time. In June 2001 loyalists began picketing the school. They argued their fight was not with the children but with the parents who used the school run as an excuse to cause trouble in the neighbouring loyalist area. That summer talks took place to resolve the dispute but they failed and trouble erupted when the new term started. A police officer was injured when a blast bomb was thrown at security forces guarding the children on their way into school. Every day the children had to run a gauntlet of hate, even having to endure balloons filled with urine thrown at them. In November, after First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan met local Protestant residents, the protest was finally called off.

9 11-PLUS EXAMINATION IS AXED

The11-plus examination has long been a bone of contention in Northern Ireland. But its final axing did little to end the debate over academic selection. Instead, it has caused even more confusion and more testing of Primary 7 children. Education Minister Caitriona Ruane has failed to get Assembly backing for the phasing out of academic selection. Although in February this year she issued guidelines on how second level schools should choose their pupils — setting out a number of criteria — her advice was ignored by a large number of the province’s grammar schools who set their own selection tests in the term just ended. State and Catholic-controlled schools each had their own selection papers, meaning that some pupils took five tests instead of the two under the 11-plus. This newspaper has campaigned vigorously for politicians to sort out the chaos and our stance has been backed by 10,000 people who signed a petition to that effect.

8 THE RUC BECOMES THE PSNI

The RUC, the police force of Northern Ireland, was formed in June 1922 shortly after the formation of the state and went out of existence in November 2001 when it was renamed the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The name change was one of the recommendations of the Patten Report into policing. One of the major aims of the new service was to increase the number of Catholics serving on the force. Few joined the RUC during the years of conflict, due in no small measure to wide scale intimidation by the IRA. The new force had a system of positive discrimination in recruitment, ensuring that at least 50% of those joining were Catholics. When it was formed Catholics made up just over 8% of the force; now it is over 26%. The disbandment of the RUC caused widespread anger in the unionist community with politicians claiming that the sacrifices made by members during the Troubles. Some 314 officers were killed and 9,000 injured in terrorist attacks. In April 2000 the force was presented with the George Medal.

7 A NATION MOURNS FOR BESTIE

On November 25, 2005 George Best, arguably one of the greatest footballers ever, died in a London hospital. He had been admitted eight weeks earlier with flu-like symptoms. It was the end of his long battle to beat the bottle. In 2002 he was given a liver transplant, but despite promises to remain sober he began drinking again. Whatever his human failings, his legion of fans around the world were always willing to forgive him, simply because of his long-remembered footballing genius. He made his name with Manchester United helping them to win the European Cup and also gained 37 caps for Northern Ireland. The Belfast boy was a celebrity when that term was used almost exclusively to describe pop stars. As well as a gifted footballer he was also a ladies man, often seen in the company of beautiful girls. His career at the top flight was much shorter than his skill merited, but he never regretted his lifestyle.

His funeral in Belfast was an emotional occasion with between 75,000 and 100,000 people lining the route from his east Belfast family home to Parliament Buildings at Stormont where a service was held before interment at Roselawn Cemetery.

6 REPUBLICAN KILLERS ARE ‘TRAITORS’

There was practically open-mouthed astonishment throughout Northern Ireland when Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, once one of the hard men of the IRA, denounced the killers of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll as “traitors to the island of Ireland”. That was probably the most grievous charge he could have levelled at the dissident republicans responsible for the shooting. That fact that he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde when he delivered his withering comment made it even more remarkable. For many people his comments underpinned Sinn Fein's decision to back policing in Northern Ireland and were seen as helpful in instilling confidence in the new power-sharing institution. Some relatives of former RUC members wondered what was the difference between this shooting by republicans and killings carried out by the Provisional IRA which Mr McGuinness supported during the Troubles. Dissident republicans regarded it as an indication that Sinn Fein has sold out on the struggle to unite Ireland.

5 THE BOOM IN CYBERSPACE

The internet can trace its origins back to the 1960s, but it is only in the last decade that it has become an almost indispensible household tool. It is estimated that one quarter of the world's population uses the internet frequently. The advent of broadband technology making downloading data much faster has also increased the popularity of the medium. The internet is just one of the new techologies which make up modern social media. Where would any teenager be without a mobile phone to use to text their friends or to take photos or videos with or to listen to music on? Could they survive without social networking sites like Bebo, Facebook or MySpace or where would any celebrity be without the ability to twitter? And, in addition, online retailing is now a huge business — £1.4m was spent in one minute on December 7 this year!

4 SMOKING BAN IMPOSED

IN April, 2007 the biggest compulsory lifestyle change was imposed in Northern Ireland when it became illegal to smoke in a public place. Smoking was outlawed in the workplace, bars, restaurants, public transport and even taxis. We followed the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in imposing the ban which was hailed as a positive move by health lobbyists. It is estimated that smoking causes around 3,000 deaths in Northern Ireland annually. However, there was not a universal welcome for the move. Some publicans complained that the ban would hit their business and pointed to the Republic where an increasing number of pubs were forced to close. But health campaigners argued that the ban would protect bar staff from the effects of secondary smoking and was the most positive health promotion initiative in decades.

3 TERROR ATTACK ON TWIN TOWERS

No-one who saw the Twin Towers of New York’s Trade Center collapse live on television after al Qieda terrorists deliberately flew two hijacked airliners into the 110-storey buildings will ever forget the sight. At times it seemed like a scene from an action movie rather than a real-life drama in which 3,000 people died. The Twin Towers attack was just part of a co-ordinated terror plot in which four airliners were hijacked in America’s skies. One was crashed into the Pentagon and another crashed in rural Pennsylvania when passengers and crew attempted to regain control of the aircraft. While these series of attacks on September 11, 2001 had no direct connection with Northern Ireland, the fallout from them changed the world order. President George Bush ordered a “war on terror” and used 9/11 as a reason to invade Iraq and depose Saddam Hussein. An invasion of Afghanistan followed.

2 PROPERTY BOOM BUBBLE BURSTS

In the middle part of this decade it seemed that all anyone needed to do to become wealthy beyond their normal expectations was to invest in property. It didn’t seem to matter what kind of property. Take the last quarter of 2005.

The average house price in the province was almost £146,000, a rise of 22% on the same time a year previously. Householders saw their property rise in value by around £500 a week.

One economist said this was remarkable given that the average income in the province was only £20,000 a year. It didn’t take an economist to work out that the underlying economic conditions could not sustain price rises of 20% a year or more. But for a time it seemed the property boom might defy logic. By 2007 the average house price had soared to more than £240,000. But when the crash came it was just as spectacular as the previous rise had been. In the third quarter of this year the average house price stood at £164,000, and that was only after a partial recovery. However, prices do not tell the full story.

Although homes are now more affordable than for several years, first-time buyers are finding it more and more difficult to obtain mortgages as banks and other lenders were badly stung when the property bubble burst.

1 ‘CHUCKLE BROTHERS’ TAKE POWER

A laughing matter... Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness, who were dubbed the ‘Chuckle Brothers’ and (below) the Twin Towers attack

Whatever our views on our local politicians, there is no doubt that the most influential change during the past decade has been the restoration of a devolved power-sharing administration. When the Rev Ian Paisley of the DUP and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein took up their respective positions as First and Deputy First Ministers on May 10, 2007 it marked a remarkable journey for both men. Mr Paisley had long denounced power-sharing with nationalists, never mind republicans, and had repeatedly vowed to smash Sinn Fein. Mr McGuinness was regarded as an active and senior IRA figure during the three decades of the Troubles, a man whose political and terrorist philosophy was to unite Ireland by any means, including violence. Both the DUP and Sinn Fein were the minority parties in the first devolved power-sharing Assembly which was suspended in 2002, but both made significant gains at the expense of the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP. The IRA's decommissioning of weapons was a major factor in helping to establish the new administration, the ground rules for which were hammered out in the St Andrews' Agreement in 2006. The Executive comprises of ten ministers whose portfolios cover Education, Health, Agriculture, Enterprise, Trade and Investment, the Environment, Regional Development, Employment, Finance, Social Development, Culture, Arts and Leisure. While Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness enjoyed a cordial personal relationship, being dubbed the “Chuckle Brothers”, the current relationship between the new First Minister, Peter Robinson and Mr McGuinness is much colder. It has not all been smooth sailing in the new administration with frequent stand-offs between the parties on issues such as education and the devolution of policing and justice powers. While a far from perfect administration, it is still the option which gains the greatest consensus within the province and no party would be willing to take the blame for another collapse. That, perhaps, is one of its greatest guarantees of survival.

It has not all been smooth sailing in the new administration with frequent stand-offs between the parties on issues such as education and the devolution of policing and justice powers. While a far from perfect administration, it is still the option which gains the greatest consensus within the province and no party would be willing to take the blame for another collapse. That, perhaps, is one of its greatest guarantees of survival.