Of all of the bridges built in the long process of bringing peace to Northern Ireland, perhaps the bridge that brought Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley together was the most extraordinary.
Their working relationship, their personal relationship, even their friendship, which prompted commentators to name them the “chuckle brothers”, ushered in a new era of cross-community respect and understanding in Northern Ireland. Now, as Martin McGuinness has announced his retirement from the political arena, his journey from a senior command position in the IRA to one of the architects of the peace process is being both assessed and celebrated.
On Today with Sean O’Rourke, Ian Paisley Junior had his say, and his words were, to say the very least, extremely gracious.
“I do believe it’s not where a man’s journey starts, but where a person finishes. And where Martin McGuinness has finished, the electoral race, and elected politics, is in an incredibly important place and a very, very good foundation for the rest of us to continue to build on a project of helping Northern Ireland forward.”
Ian Paisley Junior also had a say on that nickname, the “chuckle brothers”, expressing the view that it was used by media and other politicians to describe the relationship between the two men in a disparaging way. Many people criticised their relationship, from both sides of the community. But, he says, those chuckles certainly helped in Northern Ireland on its journey forward.
“By golly, those chuckles helped get Northern Ireland to a place of stability, to a place where it is very easy for me today to recognise the contribution that Martin McGuinness made, first of all on a personal level. He was very deferential to my father, very respectful of him. In return, my father gave Martin very much his place, and created a relationship and a partnership that helped build Northern Ireland and take Northern Ireland to a far, far better place.”
Also joining the discussion were Fianna Fáil leader, Michael Martin, as well as Sinn Féin MLA, Gerry Kelly, who made this observation about not just Martin McGuinness’s relationship with Ian Paisley, but about his entire approach to building peace in Northern Ireland through politics.
“The personal is important. And sometimes, the personal is political…. What Martin was clearly capable of was to mix both, comfortably.” – Gerry Kelly.
And on the future for the Northern Ireland assembly, and the possibility of Sinn Fein and the DUP working together again, in a way characterised by the harmonious relationship between Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley Senior, this is what Ian Paisley Junior had to say.
“Not only is it possible that it will happen, it has to happen.”
Listen to the full interview, click here.
Photo credit: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images