I hated the IRA so much that I once ranted on about how appalling their killing of innocent people was on my WMCA Morning Show in New York. I got a hand written letter saying Thank You from then Prime Minister Thatcher and a call from the Ambassador (it affected the donations from Irish Americans). It also put me high on the IRA Hit List, I was told.

But he was a decent Deputy First Minister. I enjoyed The Chuckle Brothers (I hated Paisley too, before his time as First Minister). As IRA and DUP they were vile; as ministers they were good. When McGuinness resigned and I saw him on TV I thought "he's dying". Now he has.

Will be interesting to see if the dissident republicans try to stage a protest at the funeral or keep away.

He was lucky he didn't stand up for paedophiles; he would never have been forgiven for that!

The tributes are interesting. Norman Tebbit doesn't seem to have mellowed, even if Martin McGuinness did.

Jo wrote:
The tributes are interesting. Norman Tebbit doesn't seem to have mellowed, even if Martin McGuinness did.

Interesting that Colin Parry has been more practical towards him today.

I find it perfectly natural to loathe his IRA behaviour but admire his later peace initiatives. Fascinating that, these days, we are programmed only to have one extreme view or the other. We simply cannot accept multiple emotions. Like the compassion discussion, why must one thing cancel another? I've said it before - our species will end due to this absurd, creeping superficiality.