Eulogies and condemnation for a man who has divided us

I DON’T know what to think of the death of Martin McGuinness.

He spent much of his life engaged in an illegal and bloody war. But in recent years he engaged fully in the peace process.

The views of Lord Tebbit, among others, whose wife was left paralysed after the Brighton bombing, are just as valid as the views of those who are singing his praises. Tebbit stated the world is a ‘sweeter and cleaner’ place following McGuinness’s death. A divisive figure in life, now equally divisive in death.

TOMMY RODDY, Galway.

…MARTIN McGuinness is dead and if it’s possible for the soul of someone who did what he did to rest in peace, so be it.

I prefer to save my thoughts for the memory of the people who died at his hands, directly or metaphorically, and never got to live to 66.

But if nothing else, the death of this sociopath will allow the Irish people to give another masterclass in self-delusion.

The week before last we were horrified about what we did to mothers and babies, while at the same ignoring why we never challenged the system that inflicted such abuse.

Last week we were outraged at the travel ban in the US, but then we were thrilled to see our lapdog, sorry lame duck, Taoiseach get patted on the head by President Trump.

This week we’re going to lionise a man who whose hands drip in the blood of some of the most disgusting acts ever committed on this island, while never asking how someone can claim credit for the peace process that followed the campaign of violence and criminality that they created. The ultimate example of an arsonist getting a medal for putting out the fire they started.

I prefer to honour the memory of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball, Marie Wilson, the innocent of Omagh and those in the police, army and prison and emergency services who never got to live their lives and reach retirement, and the other souls whose lives were taken.

But you won’t hear the new, modern SF/IRA talk about that, those people and the lives stolen from them and you won’t see official Ireland draw attention to them either, because we don’t do that type of truth. At Mr McGuinness’s funeral, Official Ireland will be at its delusional best. DESMOND FITZGERALD, Canary Wharf, London. …I HAVE just heard the news of Martin McGuinness’s death, and one aspect of this that resonated with me was the human side of his passing, given that he suffered with the rare degenerative disease that I also am being treated for since 2013, amyloidosis, which basically attacks all the vital organs of the body.

It is incurable but is treated with chemotherapy and other drugs. Last week I sent him a card telling there were people in Bangor praying for him. I’ve no idea if the card, addressed to Stormont, got to him on time, but I hope it did.

Maybe one last legacy of Martin McGuinness will be helping shed more light on a debilitating illness.

COLIN NEVIN, Bangor, Co. Down.

Off the ball

WHILE watching highlights of the Kerry v Dublin National Football League game in Tralee last weekend on TV, I was surprised that some unpleasant incidents between players were not shown.

There were one or more brawls involving a good number of participants but RTÉ chose to overlook the confrontations.

While I have a lot of respect for both counties who have contributed so much to the progress of the GAA, I found the omission puzzling. Perhaps the Dubs and the Kingdom are entitled to be excused from such exposure, unlike other counties.

LIAM WILSON, New Ross, Co. Wexford.