The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Peacemaker’ with mixed legacy
Former paramilitary and Deputy First Minister laid to rest
problem – in fact, he was the main part of the problem.”
Mr McGuinness, who died from a rare heart condition, completed an extraordinary political journey from an IRA leader in Derry to sharing power and a remarkable friendship with erstwhile foe, Democratic Unionist leader Dr Ian Paisley.
He also struck up a warm relationship with the Queen, whom he praised for her contribution to peace. Her Majesty is to send a personal message to Mr McGuinness’s family.
Mr Clinton said: “He believed in a shared future, and refused to live in the past, a lesson all of us who remain should learn and live by. May he rest in peace.”
“While I can never condone the path he took in the earlier part of his life, Martin McGuinness ultimately played a defining role in leading the republican movement away from violence,” Mrs May said.
Stephen Gault, whose father Samuel died in the IRA’s notorious ‘Poppy Day’ bombing in Enniskillen in 1987, said he would remember Mr McGuinness only as a “terrorist”.
“If he had been repentant, my thoughts might have been slightly different,” he said. “But he took to his grave proud that he served in the IRA. There was no remorse or repentance from him, even up to his death.”
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair credited his efforts to bring about an end to violence. “Once he became the peacemaker, he became it wholeheartedly,” Mr Blair said.
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins said: “Not only did Martin come to believe that peace must prevail, he committed himself to working tirelessly to that end.”