Mick: if you look up the BBC report on this visit, you will see that Dr Paisley has strong words of condemnation for the carnmoney people.

Got there just before me, Mick.

There was an article in Sunday's Observer that I was intending to link to this report that may be relevant.

The UVF commander was once the organisation's contact with De Chastelain. But he ruled out any new contact between the UVF and the Canadian general and his team: "Contact was broken off by us four years ago and I don't see any chance of the UVF entering a new dialogue."

He described Sinn Fein claims that Ian Paisley exercised influence over the loyalist paramilitaries as "totally laughable" to the UVF. "Let's make this absolutely clear: the UVF does not and will not listen to the likes of Ian Paisley or the DUP. They have no influence on our thinking and I have nothing but contempt for Paisley."

Here is some other execllent news from Ballymena indigenous R&D investment brings more jobs

This one Slug?

Mr Paisley said that those behind the threats had "no respect for the living or the dead", adding that no words of condemnation were strong enough.

Yes, thats the one Mick. I think it deserves note, given that people were calling for it.

Good PR move by Paisley to visit St Louis and chat to the kids there...

slug: "Yes, thats the one Mick. I think it deserves note, given that people were calling for it.

Good PR move by Paisley to visit St Louis and chat to the kids there..."

Gee, and it only took, what, a month, give or take, for the right-reverand to figure it all out. Gotta work on that PR response time, Rev.

And, to paraphrase the rev, deeds, not pretty words, are what is important. While Big Ian might be saying the right things, it will be interesting to see if he maintains this altitude, morally speaking, or whether he lapses into older, darker habits.

Dread

He had visited the school about a month ago too, in the immediate aftermath of the bomb. But this visit seemingly was coordinated with the SOS to coincide with a trip to Ballymena, and planned to be while the children were actually in school.

Slug: "He had visited the school about a month ago too, in the immediate aftermath of the bomb. But this visit seemingly was coordinated with the SOS to coincide with a trip to Ballymena, and planned to be while the children were actually in school."

Doesn't change the fact that its all PR, spin and pretty words for the gallery at this point. Is it so wrong to hold the man who once exhorted men armed with nail-studded 2x4s to his own standard of "deeds, not words?" When he does something less symbolic and more constructive, something that involves something more than a manly knuckling of the brow, I will debit him for it... but he has quite the credit balance to work off. A call to isolate violent loyalists would have gone down far better the closer it was to the riots, Slug.

Well thats what I said - it was 'good PR' to visit a Catholic school in this high profile way and chat and laugh with Catholic kids. I'd say a lot of people like to see him do that - his marginal voters not least. By the way, from what I read he wasn't commenting on the September riots following the OO re-routing in North Belfast, he was commenting on the sectarian attacks in North Antrim, and on the Carnmoney situation.

"Well thats what I said - it was 'good PR' to visit a Catholic school in this high profile way and chat and laugh with Catholic kids. I'd say a lot of people like to see him do that - his marginal voters not least. By the way, from what I read he wasn't commenting on the September riots following the OO re-routing in North Belfast, he was commenting on the sectarian attacks in North Antrim, and on the Carnmoney situation."

Mayhaps, but a good broad tag-line, like, gee, "loyalist attackers must be isolated" would have given him some cover all the way around. As a minimum, he's playing a weak trump a little later in the game than he might have. Earlier stated, he would have gained more for it, if only by association.

I'm not sure if the great man is wedded to the concept of Blairite spin so his visit to a Catholic school is an encouraging sign.

I wouldn't be jumping with ecstasy at this - while welcome, its long overdue that the good Doctor made a return to the land of the living with something positive (some parallels with weapons destruction here).

He knows he's on the backfoot so a bit of a giggle with schoolkids is always good to straighten things out. But this shouldn't be about PR. People shouldn't be glad about this simply because Dr. No has got the DUPR machine back in action, and is courting the marginal vote. It should be seen as the delayed reaction of a clumsy politician who should be doing this not to polish up his PR but because its right.

I wonder why he didn't do this kind of thing before the destruction of the weapons.

Still, despite my grumbling, better late than never.

“…when children are used as a backdrop for the political message” comes to mind.

Big Ian visits a Catholic school and condemns loyalist paramilitaries while he's there... Anyone would think he's manoeuvering ahead of becoming First Minister.

I think the thread has been a litle curmudgeonly - even if the Big I. was pressured into this the statement is pleasingly practical and comprehensible - more or less "schools and school children are off limits" and it means a lot coming from Mr Ulster Resistance himeself.

Well done to Ian.

Agreed Shay - theres still hope.

Whatever Paisley's motives were, hes just gone and done the right thing -well done
(Am I hallucinating ?)

What next? A visit to Harryville with a wire brush? Now that would be news!

One for the older patients (where's Danny M. now that we need him??)

Cany anyone remember the name of the school in Ballymoney visited by one Terence O'Neill (who he??) which roused the ire of a young (well, he was in his 30's then) presbyterian clergyman at the time??

(Breandán Ó hEithir once described an Irish begrudger as having the mind of a grasshopper and the memory of an elephant.)

Eoin

Great to see big Ian take the initiative and extend the hand of friendship to the kids; we know he likes kids, so that is a great way to start.
Just to let you all know that Gerry the "pastor of peace", got a full page interview in the prestigious "Estado de Sao Paulo" last Sunday. As the happy clappies are going a dinger down here I'm sure they'd love to see Big Ian's gospel show - but be warned, "toda aqui acaba en samba"