There was always an element of embarrassment within the SDLP over its formal partnership with Fianna Fáil.
Some party figures would groan at the media asking questions about the cross-border alliance ever since it was announced to much fanfare but never seemed to materialise.
And so reports signalling an end to the link-up come as no great surprise. For many, the deal seemed dead on arrival three years ago.
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There is some dispute within the SDLP over whether Colum Eastwood "announced" the end of the partnership when hundreds of members gathered at an internal meeting last Saturday.
But it is clear some of those present interpreted the party leader's response to a question from the floor as meaning the arrangement is effectively over.
Mr Eastwood told the meeting at Belfast's Clayton Hotel that the SDLP must move forward "standing on its own two feet", sources told the Belfast Telegraph.
A subsequent statement from the party failed to deny the obvious conclusion, saying the SDLP would continue to work closely with Fianna Fáil "and with every party".
It appeared to blindside Fianna Fáil, coming at an awkward moment just days before its Ard Fheis.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who spoke to Mr Eastwood on the morning the reports emerged, said: "Well, I can't confirm it and the SDLP certainly are not confirming it to us."
It seems a far cry from January 2019 when the two party leaders jointly launched the partnership in the sleek surrounds of central Belfast's Artola House.
Far from being the "historic moment" that Mr Eastwood hailed at the time, it was always a classic fudge - and more trouble than it was worth.
It drew comparisons with the convoluted compromise on abortion reached the previous year, in which the SDLP agreed to retain a "pro-life" stance but allow members a free vote.
The extent of the link-up was wooly, amounting to little more than a "joint working group" to develop new policies underpinned by "detailed polling and research".
It was born out of a time of political malaise, when Stormont power-sharing was in a deep freeze and the SDLP lost all three of its MPs in the 2017 Westminster election.
Supporters saw it as a way of boosting the SDLP's electoral capacity. As well as Fianna Fáil helping the SDLP knock doors, it was suggested the move would unlock more funding streams from elements keen on a formal alliance.
It was also argued the alliance would help counter nationalist questions over the party for not organising on a 32-county basis like rivals Sinn Féin.
For critics, it made no sense for the party to jettison connections with other parties by throwing in its lot with Fianna Fáil.
When the agreement was eventually announced, it fell well short of the months of speculation about the potential of a full merger.
And it sparked deep divisions within the SDLP. Although a clear majority of 70% endorsed the plan, there was opposition from some of the party's best-known faces.
Claire Hanna quit as the party's Brexit spokesperson and withdrew from Assembly group meetings in response.
However, her election alongside Mr Eastwood to Westminster in December 2019 hastened a reconciliation. The restoration of Stormont the following year and the Covid-19 pandemic shifted priorities.
The partnership has also faced opposition in Fianna Fáil, with its youth wing earlier this year calling for it to be rescinded. A cautious approach from Mr Martin has also been blamed for the partnership never properly developing.
The ebbing away of the arrangement comes at a time when both the parties are facing their own electoral challenges.
After a bruising Assembly election, the SDLP faces the prospect of preparing for a snap Stormont vote in December on top of council elections next May. In the Republic, Fianna Fáil is looking over its shoulder at the rise of Sinn Fein.
Forthcoming polls either side of the border will be their primary focus rather than forcing this marriage any further.
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