THE much anticipated morning parade along a contested section of the Crumlin Road has passed off, in what has so far been the most peaceful marching season in many years.
While a large scale policing operation had been in place from early in the morning, in the end there were only some minor verbal exchanges with none of the tensions associated with previous years.
Once an area of major contention, where public disorder could rage for days on end, the heat had been taken out of the Ardoyne march ahead of time with more conciliatory language used by senior Orangemen.
A deal failed to materialise, but the talks to broker an agreement seem to have created some goodwill in the area.
Earlier in the day PSNI chief constable George Hamilton arrived at the Ardoyne interface to speak with officers on the ground.
His arrival prompted chants from Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective protesters of "You're not welcome".
Around 50 residents joined the GARC protest, and while riot police were on standby and formed a line between protesters and the parade as it passed at around 8.30am, there was none of the violence associated with previous years.
GARC protesters shouted 'walk of shame' as the three orange lodges along with 100 supporters, made their way passed the interface, but the two sides were kept well apart.
Further up the Crumlin Road and members of the CARA - the group involved in recent talks to try and broker a deal to end the parading standoff - held a silent protest.
Even the protest posters took on a more conciliatory tone. In the past Cara have held, 'end sectarian parades', posters this year the banner read 'resolution is possible'.
There was a minor moment of confusion when an emergency ambulance came out of the Ardoyne ambulance station and drove straight into the body of the parade.
Police directed the ambulance through the crowd who regrouped, before reaching the loyalist Twaddell Avenue where around 100 supporters cheered their arrival.
Speaking afterwards SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said that efforts to find a resolution to the dispute should begin immediately.
"There's an appetite for resolution and local residents want to see an end to the problem, I do think it's important that any talks are inclusive in order to broker a lasting deal.
"Once the twelfth is over this year we need to start very quickly and build of the momentum", he added.
Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said that the heat had been removed in the build up to this year's parade.
"The eleventh night going into the twelfth was one of the quietest I can remember.
"I'm glad we are where we are, in the sense that the parade went off quietly.
"I don't want to be leaving this problem to the next generation, there is a resolution to be found here with talks.
"There is a generalised view that we can crack this.
"There are those who want confrontation and that's up to them but they are in the very small minority", he said.
Across the city and the parade from Whiterock Orange Hall along the Springfield Road in west Belfast also passed without major incident.
While the majority of the parade proceeded through the old Mackies site, 50 members of the Orange Order and one band were permitted to pass through the usually closed security gates at Workman Avenue.
Nationalists held a mainly silent protest, as the parade made its way past, the band played a single drumbeat, before playing music as they reached the security gates.
A small handful of protesters shouted 'walk of shame' but apart from that the parade also passed without major incident.
There is no return parade on the Springfield Road and the very low key policing operation quickly dispersed.
Police will return to north Belfast later today for the return leg of the Ligonel lodges parade, which will for the forth year running be stopped at Woodvale Avenue.
Senior members of the orange order have appealed for calm in the run up to the twelfth and so far those calls appear to have been heeded.
