McGuinness made NI better place, says IRA victim’s cousin

A BELFAST man who lost a relative at the hands of the IRA in 1981 joined members of the public and local dignitaries — including the Queen’s Lord Lieutenant — in signing books of condolence which opened at Belfast City Hall yesterday in honour of the late Martin McGuinness.

Paul Patrick (61) said it was important to acknowledge that Mr McGuinness and Ian Paisley both played a pivotal role in making Northern Ireland a better place.

“Being the age I am I have lived through the Troubles; the IRA killed my cousin in 1981,” he said.

“My main emotions today are that if this small state had listened to the civil rights movement then we wouldn’t be in this position and Martin McGuinness would not have had to join the IRA.”

His cousin, George Joseph Hall (28), was found stabbed to death near his home in the Crumlin Gardens area of the city on July 12, 1981 just days before a similar killing in the same area.

Both murders are believed to have been carried out by republicans.

Mr Patrick, who is the child of a mixed marriage, said he has had to wrestle with these issues for decades. “Despite what I may have thought about Paisley in the 1970s, or the killers of my cousin, these two men are responsible for bringing us to this stage of the peace process.”

Belfast Lord Mayor Brian Kingston was the first to sign the book as he joined council members in expressing his “deepest sympathies” to the McGuinness family.

But he emphasised that he did so with mixed feelings.

“He will be remembered for his involvement in violence and terrorism which took the lives of many hundreds of people in this city, across Northern Ireland and beyond,” he said.

“But he will also be remembered for his involvement in the democratic process and his rejection of violence.”

The DUP Lord Mayor described how the legacy of the former Deputy First Minister will always have dual association with “terrible suffering” and “peaceful and democratic politics” which must never be forgotten.

The Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle CBE, also signed the book of condolence in memory of the veteran republican at City Hall yesterday afternoon.

Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Ellen Campbell insisted that the council was right to honour Mr McGuinness who she said has taught her “great grace” and “leadership in the face of adversity”.

“He also taught me to remember those who put out the hand of friendship and to accept it gracefully,” she said.

“The man himself will be missed by many, but Martin the republican and Martin the activist will also be missed.”

The Sinn Fein politician wept as she paid tribute to her late party colleague and refused to acknowledge that the council’s decision to open the book would divide people. “A man has died, I don’t know why you would see that as divisive,” she said.

“There are many people who will sign this book who have suffered.”

Former Belfast Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile described Mr McGuinness’s passing as devastating after he penned a tribute.

He said the country has lost a towering political figure whose skill will be missed in the ongoing Stormont talks.

He added: “There will be divergent views of Martin McGuinness and that’s fair enough.

“I think Martin would say, ‘I understand that’ — but I wouldn’t suggest that admiration and respect would simply come from one constituency or tradition.” THE two main unionist leaders have paid tribute to Martin McGuinness — and have said unionism could learn lessons from the former Deputy First Minister.

A sombre special session of the Assembly gathered yesterday to mark the passing of the 66-year-old who served on the Executive for almost a decade.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said the gathering was “fitting” and that she doubted whether Northern Ireland “will ever see his like again”.

And Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said if unionists had anything to learn from Mr McGuinness, it was about the importance of “outreach”.

“He reached outside his comfort zone on many occasions, but unionism didn’t always reciprocate,” he said.

“We must be better in taking the case of unionism, confidently, to the widest possible audience.”

There were stories of Mr McGuinness’ boundless attempts to connect with people.

Former Justice Minister David Ford told how, in a room where party members were all at their respective tables, Mr McGuinness sat between his wife and the wife of the then PSNI Chief Constable. “That was his personality — always seeking to reach out,” he said.

And Mr Ford’s successor as Alliance leader, Naomi Long, spoke of once introducing a nephew to Mr McGuinness by saying: “This is a very important man,” to which Martin replied: “Has somebody come in?”

Mr Nesbitt told of how he had walked around the Stormont estate with Mr McGuinness after they met by chance one day.

“If anybody needed to be convinced that Martin McGuinness was genuine about wanting devolution to work, that was the conversation to tune into,” he said.

Mr Nesbitt said it would be dishonest to ignore the pain of the victims of the IRA, but history would be “very positive” about Mr McGuinness’s motivation as a politician.

An emotional Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill was the first leader to speak, describing her mentor as a “political visionary” and “gifted strategist and orator” who, apart from a leader and role model, was “our dear and valued friend”.

She said Mr McGuinness had always challenged party colleagues to ‘reach out’ to those from the unionist tradition and even in his last public statement, near his Bogside home, had urged people to choose “hope over fear”.

Mrs Foster said history would have the final say on the “complex and challenging” legacy of