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SENATOR GEORGE MITCHELL gave a eulogy and large crowds turned out in New York last evening as a month’s mind mass for Martin McGuinness took place at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Hundreds of members of the city’s Irish community attended the service, along with members of the late Sinn Féin politician’s family and Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald.
Addressing the congregation, Mitchell said he had first met McGuinness in 1995 when he was asked to travel to Northern Ireland as President Clinton’s representative.
Over the past two decades, he said, “much has been written and said about how Northern Ireland moved from war to peace”.
The Prime Ministers and Taoisigh who presided over the peace process deserved credit for the progress, he said.
“But as I have said often the real heroes of the Northern Ireland peace process were the people and the political leaders of Northern Ireland.”
At great risk to themselves and to their families, he said, “at a critical moment in their people’s history they summoned the courage and vision to end a conflict that some historians trace back over 800 years”.
Martin was one of them. He had courage and he had vision.
Before the IRA’s ceasefires, McGuinness had been ”deeply engaged” in conflict, Mitchell said. After the negotiations started, Mitchell said, he was ”deeply engaged in trying to end the conflict”.
There was no doubt his leadership had been a major factor in reaching the Good Friday and other agreements, and in maintaining the peace that followed, the former Maine senator said.
The iconic images of the former Deputy First Minister working alongside his former foe Ian Paisley and the photos of him meeting the Queen ”graphically represent the massive transformations that occurred in Northern Ireland,” he said.
In a lighter moment, he joked that the negotiations took so long to complete because “it took me one year to understand what anybody was saying – and only then did we get down to business”.
Large photos of McGuinness were displayed on the altar for the ceremony, which was presided over by Monsignor Robert Ritchie, the cathedral’s rector. Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones was among the congregation.
A month’s mind mass will also be held in Derry tomorrow evening.
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Still less of an increase than somebody on the dole when you factor in the increased Christmas bonus…
@Owen Slattery: about 450/year better off… For choosing not to work. Compared to 290e for choosing to work…
@Joe Jackson: so about €6 a week,great but where is my Christmas bonus?
@Owen Slattery: yup but I’d still rather live on what I get paid with my salary than try to live off the dole
Can tell you, being on the dole made me depressed and the what to do something. Signing on for the first time made me feel ashamed to the people who pay taxes to help others get by on life. Love being back in full time education, to get that degree I so desperately want.
@Karl Markey: the best of luck to you!
@Karl Markey: well done Karl. We’ve all had a kick in the hole at some part of our lives mate. Best of luck man.
@Karl Markey: exactly how the dole should be used… As a safety net. Not as a lifestyle choice like Margaret Cash and co. think.
@Karl Markey: Fair dues to you Karl, all the very best with it
@Karl Markey: Fair dues to you Karl, all the very best with it
@Joe Jackson: The government need people like you to do their dirty work.
@Sean Conway: dirty work? Working hard to pay my taxes and support my family myself? Yes, the country could do with more like me…
Oh good! TD’s are safe.
Never thought we would see FF out defending a FG budget
#BarryCowanfor FG.
Ah finally an article applicable to me on the Journal
People that earn over 100k don’t read this s#ite.
I will go crazy with my extra 290e…
@Joe Jackson: My mother gets 5 week from march 2019. She is considering booking a cruise around the world with it.
Give in one hand and take in the other.
I think its time we march to get rid of the USC
Temporary tax????
Red Panty night!!
Love this disjointed journalism pick the hard working family earning 50000 between them what will they get
Disgraceful journalism
Problem was didnt like being told of fake news
@Lorraine Burke: what????? They did, look down the news feed it’s two stories down and they covered 30k , 40k ,50k…..so that’s a single or couple with that income assessed jointly . Also fake news is a story made up, this is just a collection of facts collated by the author listing how the budget effects someone on that income .
Yeah. Nothing in there.
Such a lack of vision by this government. pure populist garbage. Why not instead of giving the people on the dole an extra fiver and working people even less. Why not Invest more in infrastructure projects. Limerick to cork Motorway, Underground for Dublin. Decent broadband to name a few
And who is earning “around 100k” and why is that amount worthy of the article. More to the point, who in the name of jazus cares about people early “around 100k” sure there grand anyway.
@Red Pirate 71: There more than likely employers, managers, and those who provide jobs for the rest of us
Love this disjointed journalism pick the hard working family earning 50000 between them what will they get
Disgraceful journalism
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