Snowballs made a comeback at Stormont yesterday. Or one snowball anyway - and a fake one at that.

It came as one of the delightful The Sky's The Limit performers mimed to the epic advertising gimmick Just One Cornetto - set to Eduardo di Capua's famous O Sole Mio - and precariously held the makeshift missile.

In times past, Ian Paisley would have been throwing the snowball at the Taoiseach.

Yesterday, they shared a beverage instead, alongside Martin McGuinness and Bertie Ahern, without so much as an ice-cube.

The atmosphere was far from frosty as Stormont held a cautious celebration to mark not just a new era, but a new nosa and throata as well.

Everybody was being excessively polite, as if they'd all turned up at a dinner party above their station and were nervously waiting to see what fork the others would use next.

Fearing this new dawn of cordiality and mutual respect, Assembly members obviously decided they had one last chance to get in their insults about the Speaker - and his deputies.

After all, better taking the mickey before the new boss gets into office: you probably won't get another opportunity.

Ian Paisley said he had known his nominee for Speaker, William Hay, since he was a young boy in short pants ("He still is," shouted someone from behind).

Seconding the nomination, Jeffrey Donaldson referred to his party colleague Hay as a "stout" defender. Laughter erupted, and a theme had begun.

Gerry Adams said his nominee, Francie Molloy, was "also stout" and the SDLP leader Mark Durkan proposed the also less- than-svelte John Dallat.

"Shares in Weight Watchers will be going up," Mr Durkan quipped.

Above: How we reported yesterday's historic event

Minutes later, newly-elected Hay made his first official gaffe, referring to Francie Molloy as Francie Brolly, a very different, white-bearded Sinn Fein MLA who sat not far away being jokingly jostled by colleagues.

Mr Hay was said to have later defended himself against charges of obesity, but warned he faces an uphill struggle against the danger of Stormont lunch syndrome.