Hillary Clinton today experienced first hand the unrelenting mindset of Northern Ireland politics when a number of Unionists refused to applaud her speech to the Stormont parliament and two staged a walkout.

The Secretary of State flew to Belfast to urge the rival Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders of the Province's power-sharing government to keep making their brittle coalition work for the sake of lasting peace.

After 90 minutes of talks with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Mrs Clinton addressed the Northern Ireland Assembly, telling a hushed, packed chamber that Republican dissidents were looking to seize any opportunity to destabilise the coalition government.

"Now they are watching this assembly for signs of uncertainty or internal disagreement," warned Mrs Clinton. "They want to derail your confidence. And though they are small in number, their thuggish tactics and destructive ambitions threaten the security of every family in Northern Ireland. Moving ahead together with the process will leave them stranded on the wrong side of history."

Almost all of the 108 members of the assembly applauded, but a few Democratic Unionist backbenchers folded their arms instead, and two senior figures, William McCrea and Gregory Campbell, left the chamber during the ovation.

Democratic Unionist officials said the walkout reflected Protestant irritation at being told what to do by "outsiders", a point they said they had made earlier in private to Mrs Clinton.

Mrs Clinton conceded this sensitivity in her speech, ad libbing: "We know what it means to be supportive. And we also know what it means to meddle." She said that the US sought to do the former, not the latter.

Mr Robinson — who did applaud — joked afterwards that Mrs Clinton should be pleased that everyone at least kept their seat while she was speaking. "Make any speech in the Northern Ireland Assembly and nobody walks out — it’s a bit of triumph," he said.

Earlier Mrs Clinton held a brief photocall in the sunshine with Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness — a diplomatic accomplishment in itself, because the rival leaders have rarely appeared together in public for months.

"There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Northern Ireland has come a long way. Old enemies are working together to build a stable, prosperous future," Mrs Clinton said. "I’m here today to send a strong message that the Obama Administration and the United States are committed to supporting you as you continue your journey."

Mrs Clinton stressed her personal connection with Northern Ireland, harking back to her husband Bill Clinton's efforts to promote peace during his 1993-2001 US presidency and her own support for women's peace groups in the Province.

"Both my husband and I feel a special bond with this land, and as Secretary of State I am committed to continuing to offer you a hand of friendship and partnership," she said.

She kissed both political leaders on the cheek in a careful display of political even-handedness.

Mrs Clinton's intervention comes at yet another sticky moment for the peace process. Mr Robinson is resisting mounting pressure from Mr McGuinness for Stormont to take responsibility for Northern Ireland’s police and justice system. The row is the most glaring example of the tensions in a two-year-old coalition government that has often seemed to prefer dead-end arguments and entrenched positions to compromise.

Last week Gordon Brown made a flying visit in an attempt to inject some fresh energy and enthusiasm.

Britain, Ireland and United States believe that transferring law-and-order powers from London to Belfast would strengthen the coalition and isolate Republican dissidents who want to destroy power-sharing.

This year has seen a resurgence of violence, with the deaths of a police officer and two British soldiers — the first casualties of Northern Ireland's four-decade-long conflict since 1998 when the Good Friday peace accord was signed. Last month, police made safe a bomb containing 600 lb (270 kg) of homemade explosives, bigger than the device which killed 29 people in Omagh in 1998.

Mr McGuinness, a former IRA commander, says that the dissidents can be defeated only if law and order are guided by local hands. Mr Robinson insists he has no objection to transferring these powers from London to Belfast, but Britain must promise to provide hundreds of millions of pounds to fund the proposed Justice Department.

Sinn Fein accuses Mr Robinson of using financial demands, at a time of deep Westminster budget deficits, as a delaying tactic because he actually opposes any Sinn Fein influence in oversight of the justice system. Mr Robinson denies this.

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