McGuinness was an IRA leader – were journalists supposed to just ignore that?

NOBODY has ever doubted that Martin McGuinness was for much of his life a very senior IRA leader. It allowed him play a huge role in creating violence and mayhem in Ireland. Later it allowed him play a big role in ultimately getting the IRA to stop killing people.

It is carved in summary upon his tombstone. The citation reads: “In Proud and Loving Memory of Óglach Martin McGuinness, Óglaigh na hÉireann, MP, MLA, Minister, Died March 21st, 2017.” “Óglaigh na hÉireann” is a name the IRA uses for itself. Since 1924, Óglaigh na hÉireann is also the Gaelic name for the Irish Defence Forces.

But by summer 2011 Martin McGuinness was the co-leader of the North’s power-sharing executive and had walked a way on the road to peace. Sinn Féin then nominated him as their candidate for President of Ireland, a job which includes being titular head of the Irish Defence Forces.

For his first anniversary, in a book of 27 interviews reminiscing about Martin McGuinness, Mary Lou McDonald fulminates about how unfairly he was treated during that campaign. She believes his treatment by the media was “utterly repulsive”.

The Sinn Féin leader cites a rather spikey interview with RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan asking: “How do you sleep at night?” in reference to his role in the IRA killings. Ms McDonald also castigates robust questions from TV3’s Vincent Browne.

Ms McDonald also argues that the media in this jurisdiction took a partitionist view of Martin McGuinness’s candidature since he came from Derry which is de facto part of another jurisdiction.

Well, let’s get real here. Firstly, all candidates were put through the wringer in that extraordinary presidential election of 2011. It was unavoidable as the job of President is a strange one and personal character and competence are key.

So, is a person’s background: accountant, teacher, soldier and IRA killer. All of them prompt real questions which must be asked at election time.