Martin McGuinness – Page 2 – Slugger O'Toole

The warm welcome Arlene Foster received at the funeral of Martin McGuinness came as a surprise to many. But not to those who know Derry well.

Steve Bradley on March 27, 2017, 2:19 pm

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“Of all the ‘moments’ in my 27 years of journalism, applause for Arlene Foster at the funeral of Martin McGuinness is right up there”. So remarked Sky News’s Ireland correspondent, David Blevins, after one of Northern Ireland’s most important funerals in years. Blevins wasn’t alone in being wrong-footed by this turn of events. This was, after all, the funeral of a former IRA commander – held in a staunchly nationalist city during the uncertain aftermath of a landmark and divisive …

Meanwhile, up in God’s Waiting Room…

Kyle Patterson on March 27, 2017, 6:14 am

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Kyle PattersonCurrently studying for a software development MSc at Queen’s University, Belfast. I also draw political cartoons. Find me on the internet: Twitter: @TheAuthority88 Facebook: facebook.com/KylePattersonCartoonist/

Bill Clinton’s eulogy for Martin McGuinness and NI’s epic journey…

Mick Fealty on March 24, 2017, 12:24 pm

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For the record, whatever you think of Bill Clinton, Northern Ireland seems to bring out something extraordinary in him… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

“worthy actions are more convincing that the spoken word in demonstrating change….”

Mick Fealty on March 22, 2017, 10:31 pm

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Worth listening to Peter Robinson’s thoughts on working with Martin McGuinness: While the media obsessed over any difficulty or disagreement that from time to time would arise because of our distinct political mandates we would have been sitting down seeking to find a solution or working out how we would manage the differences. There never were any tantrums. Yelling and screaming were not part of Martin’s temperament. Even after my retirement and through his illness we met, spoke by phone …

“I’m a patient man” said Martin McGuinness in a last interview as he defended his strategy of ” making the institutions work”. But Unionists have Rubicons to cross too

Brian Walker on March 22, 2017, 12:05 pm

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So what’s the legacy? His contribution to underlying peace not war was essential, certainly. In the welter of well- rehearsed comment yesterday we can be thankful that there was no suggestion of regression, rather the opposite from the likes of Gerry Kelly. But in politics? To adapt Ian Paisley jnr’s tribute “It’s not how you start your life that’s important, it’s how you finish.” While this is arguable – surely the whole life matters? – Martin McGuinness’s life finished with …

McGuinness’s transformation from violent brigand to civic leader will be a hard act to follow

Mick Fealty on March 22, 2017, 6:42 am

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By way of a quick round up on reactions yesterday, I’ll start with my own thoughts on the Irish Times Inside Politics podcast above. Personally, I liked what I encountered of him, but then the only Martin McGuinness I knew was the public peacemaker. The accounts we’ve been hearing describe two different people, each as seemingly authentic as the other: a Janus-faced soldier-cum-broker of peace. But Mary Lou is right to suggest he hadn’t changed much: he always moved in …

Martin McGuinness (1950-2017)

kathrynjohnston on March 21, 2017, 12:48 pm

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OBITUARY – Kathryn Johnston co-authored the biography “Martin McGuinness: From Guns to Government” with Liam Clarke. She reflects on the life of the former deputy First Minister who died this morning.

Martin McGuinness’s limited self revelations of the IRA boss and the peace-making politician, will be worth studying for years

Brian Walker on March 21, 2017, 10:36 am

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Although I may be speaking too soon, it comes as a relief that the traditional Irish decencies are being observed on the death of Martin McGuinness, not only on merit but for the sake of preserving relations between the DUP and Sinn Fein. It’s too early to speculate how his death will affect the interparty talks. I doubt if we’ll ever be sure whether quitting the Assembly was fully his own decision, or if his need to retire from illness …

The glimmer of light seen in Martin McGuinness’s departure can become a beacon of hope

Brian Walker on January 20, 2017, 11:20 am

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So the political establishment and the media are in rare unison praising Martin McGuinness. Illness and the shadow of death – ordinary decent, natural sickness and intimations of mortality – bring out the sentimentalist in all types of the Irish people. Let’s not be too starry eyed. In a longish apologia for the different phases of his career, Martin McGuinness had no apology to make for the armed struggle. It was left to Gregory Campbell from across the Foyle – …

‘Fair fa’ ya’ Martin McGuinness, in the words of British and Irish political leaders…

Mick Fealty on January 19, 2017, 10:14 pm

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It will take a while to gather thoughts on the retirement of the estimable former deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness. Firstly, Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom: He played a key role in moving the republican movement towards a position of using peaceful and democratic means. I want to send him best wishes for his retirement. We will all continue to work to make sure that the people of Northern Ireland are able to live …

Martin McGuinness to stand down at the next election

David McCann on January 19, 2017, 6:03 pm

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The former Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness has announced he will stand down as an MLA at the next election. His statement is this; “Last year, Gerry Adams and I confirmed that we had a plan in place for transition to a new leadership. For my part, it was my intention to step aside in May this year which would have marked 10 years since I entered government with Ian Paisley as joint leader of the northern Executive. “Unfortunately, my …

Solutions are negotiable, if there’s the political will

Brian Walker on January 17, 2017, 10:21 am

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There’s something stereotypically Irish about a battle between two parties who are not competing for the same votes, were in one sense on the same side – i.e. the same government – and will end up more or less where we are after the Assembly election. Incisive though it is, Mick’s analysis defers the subject of finding a way through the standoff for another time. In my own pitch to CNN, I noted the switch in morale between the DUP …

“What was done jointly by the first and deputy first minister cannot be undone unilaterally”

Pete Baker on January 13, 2017, 11:04 pm

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The BBC has a report on the “detailed letter” the Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker, the DUP’s Robin Newton, has sent to all MLAs ahead of a no confidence motion on Monday. It had been reported in December that he intended to send the letter to opposition MLAs. From the BBC report He wrote that, five days before Mrs Foster’s statement, the Speaker’s office received a “valid notice seeking the recall of the assembly” which bore the signatures of both the …

The Irish language hasn’t gone away you know

Concubhar on January 11, 2017, 8:58 am

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I’m back at work though suffering with a cold, flu or ‘man-flu’. I don’t like feeling congested at the best of times. Being back at work at the start of a cold and wet January doesn’t brighten my mood. This is all put in perspective by Martin McGuinness who has serious health issues, it seems. I wish him a speedy recovery. Nara fada go raibh tú ar do shean léim! In the light of his …

“a strategy which now views the very presence of devolved government in Northern Ireland as a bargaining chip with the Government and with the DUP.”

Pete Baker on January 10, 2017, 12:49 pm

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In the News Letter, Sam McBride provides an astute assessment of the “profound consequences” of Sinn Féin’s decision to resign Martin McGuinness from the Northern Ireland Executive Office. From the News Letter article Mr Adams now appears to envisage yet another round of ‘crisis talks’ in Belfast in attempt to extract further concessions from the DUP and the Government, which Sinn Fein can then sell to its supporters in order to justify its continued position in a power-sharing arrangement …

Martin McGuinness resigns as Deputy First Minister

David McCann on January 9, 2017, 3:21 pm

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Sinn Fein have finally taken the plunge of calling it a day and bringing the curtain down on nearly 10 years of devolution. I will admit, that I thought they would never do it but Martin McGuinness resigned as Deputy First Minister. “Over the last ten years I have worked with DUP leaders and reached out to unionists on the basis of equality, respect and reconciliation. “Over this period the actions of the British government and the DUP have undermined …

“More important, though, is to never forget the monstrous things that can be done by apparently affable family men, who write poetry and enjoy fishing.”

Pete Baker on December 27, 2016, 5:15 pm

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With former Sinn Féin MLA, Daithí McKay [now a Slugger contributor… – Ed], speculating elsewhere that the, as yet unspecified, illness that caused the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister to pull out of December’s NI Executive Office trip to China at the last minute may force him to step down in 2017, Eilis O’Hanlon takes a pre-emptive look at Martin McGuinness’ “mixed legacy“. McGuinness has been lucky. Adams is widely mocked for denying that he was ever in the IRA. McGuinness was …

Sinn Féin to table amendment calling for Foster to step aside for 4 weeks & expand scope of judicial inquiry

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 18, 2016, 6:59 pm

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SINN FEIN will table an amendment to tomorrow morning’s motion of no confidence requiring the First Minister only to step aside while a four week preliminary report is produced, but expanding the remit of the inquiry to cover special advisers and civil servants. They threaten grave consequences if the DUP disregard the joint authority of the Executive Office.

McGuinness and Foster at odds over the response to the RHI Scheme

David McCann on December 17, 2016, 9:36 am

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The Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness has called on Arlene Foster to stand aside as First Minister for a period of time I spoke by phone this afternoon with the First Minister, Arlene Foster. “I outlined my serious concern that the credibility of the political institutions is being undermined by the serious and ongoing allegations surrounding the design, operation, abuse and ending of the Renewable Heating Incentive Scheme. “This includes allegations from a former DUP Minster that there was corruption. …

“Return to your cumanns and prepare for Irish unification.”

Pete Baker on December 5, 2016, 3:49 pm

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Eilis O’Hanlon comments on the recent flurry of “displacement activity” from Sinn Féin. From the Belfast Telegraph article So, what better way to distract the republican home crowd than with some conjurer’s cheap tricks? Don’t look at that hand, look at this one. Don’t mention my ineffectiveness on a range of issues that actually matter, look at all these things I’m saying and doing about something that doesn’t matter in the slightest. It’s not as if …