Northern Ireland’s Ian Paisley dies, aged 88
The former Northern Ireland first minister’s death was announced by his wife. Martin McGuinness, of Sinn Fein, said his working relationship with Paisley had developed into a friendship.
Paisley‘s wife Eileen, who released a statement announcing his death, said the family was heartbroken: “My beloved husband, Ian, entered his eternal rest this morning.
“We loved him and he adored us, and our earthly lives are forever changed. According to Ian’s wishes his funeral will be private and attended only by the immediate family, as will be his burial.”
Paisley was a long-serving leader of the Democratic Unionist party, whose current leader, First Minister Peter Robinson said: “Ulster will never see the like of him again – a giant of a human being, a true Ulsterman with an immeasurable love for the Province and its people. It can truly be said of Ian that he was the founding father of the new Northern Ireland.”
Paisley was a firebrand fundamentalist Protestant preacher and politician who led opposition to compromise with the IRA for decades in Northern Ireland.
‘Peacemaker’
He became a peacemaker when he entered government with Sinn Fein at Stormont as first minister following a landmark deal. He had been ill for some time. Former prime minister Tony Blair, who played a major part in achieving the deal, said: “Over time I got to know him well. He could be an uncompromising even intransigent opponent. But he was also someone who loved Northern Ireland and its people.”
Paisley led opposition to any accommodation with republicans for decades and his fiery rhetoric was legendary.
As charismatic leader of the strongly Christian DUP, he opposed successive political deals including the Anglo-Irish and Good Friday agreements but agreed to powersharing with Sinn Fein in 2007 following that party’s acceptance of the new police force.
Very sad to learn that Ian Paisley has died.My deepest sympathy to his wife Eileen & family.Once political opponents – I have lost a friend.
— Martin McGuinness (@M_McGuinness_SF) September 12, 2014
Paisley was elected to Westminster in 1970 as the Protestant Unionist MP for North Antrim. A year later he founded the Democratic Unionist party which he led until 2008.
In 1979 he was elected to the European parliament where his views on the Catholic church caused controversy – most notably when he denounced Pope John Paul II as the “antichrist” during a visit to the parliament in 1988.
I developed a closed working relationship with him which developed into a friendship, which despite our many differences lasted beyond his term of office. Martin McGuinness
Even though he was also opposed to the 1998 Good Friday peace accord which eventually ended the Troubles, Mr Paisley ended up sharing power with the republican Sinn Fein party when he and his bitter rival Martin McGuinness became first and deputy first ministers in 2007.
‘Political rival’
Mr McGuinness expressed regret and sadness: “Over a number of decades we were political opponents and held very different views on many, many issues but the one thing we were absolutely united on was the principle that our people were better able to govern themselves than any British government.
“I want to pay tribute to and comment on the work he did in the latter days of his political life in building agreement and leading unionism into a new accommodation with republicans and nationalists.
“In the brief period that we worked together in the office of the first and deputy first minister I developed a close working relationship with him which developed into a friendship, which despite our many differences lasted beyond his term in office.