Tánaiste Micheál Martin has had his first official meeting with the new Northern Ireland Secretary of State.
The Fianna Fáil leader and Hilary Benn discussed a range of issues, including improving relations between Dublin and London, and the Labour Party's pledge to repeal the controversial legislation which ended investigations into Troubles killings.
Red, white and blue bunting and Union flags lined the route as the Tánaiste's official car drove through the village of Royal Hillsborough in Co Down.
More than 200 bonfires will be lit tonight to celebrate the victory of King William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
At a time when political and sectarian tensions are at their highest, the residence of the British Royal Family in Northern Ireland, Hillsborough Castle, was the setting for talks to remove tensions from relations between the British and Irish Governments.
Those relations were seriously damaged by successive Conservative governments and the toxic debate over Brexit.
There was a warm welcome for Mr Martin, with Mr Benn throwing open his arms and saying, "thank you so much for coming along".
Speaking before they met, Mr Martin said there is much work to be done.
"We'll have a wide-ranging discussion in which we will explore many, many issues," he said.
"The stability of the institutions, the opportunity to reset British-Irish relationships in the context of the Good Friday Agreement and legacy, shared island and a range of other issues," he added.
Funding for the GAA's planned new stadium at Casement Park in west Belfast, selected as one of the host venues for the 2028 Euro football championships, was also on the agenda.
Asked about relations between Dublin and London since Labour came to power last week, Mr Martin said: "It's been good, the tone has been very good."
The bridge building exercise will continue next week when Taoiseach Simon Harris and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will have their first official engagement.
They will have a bilateral meeting and working dinner at the prime minister's country estate known as Chequers.
The relationship between the new UK Government and the Irish Government has been described as a breath of fresh air by officials on both sides.
The early signs are that trust is being restored.
