Rev Ian Paisley is dead

[not on facebook]

Massive man from the troubled times over in N Ireland

R.I.P

[Sheepskin Stu]

I met him. He was sound.

[IC1967]

I think it depends if you are Irish, Catholic, Protestant or a mixture as to what your view of the man would be. I don't wish to speak ill of the dead, but I couldn't stand the man.
I believe he was a massive block on finding peace in Northern Ireland and delayed the process for many years. As a consequence many more people have died than would have been the case.

That said he mellowed in his later years and I found myself softening my feelings towards him.

[Filo]

I think it depends if you are Irish, Catholic, Protestant or a mixture as to what your view of the man would be. I don't wish to speak ill of the dead, but I couldn't stand the man.
I believe he was a massive block on finding peace in Northern Ireland and delayed the process for many years. As a consequence many more people have died than would have been the case.

That said he mellowed in his later years and I found myself softening my feelings towards him.

Right, so the remembrance day bombing in Enniskillen by a terrorist organisation wasn't a block on finding peace?

Believe me I've seen first hand innocent people killed and maimed by the IRA, in Enniskillen a few years before the rememberance day bombing, it wasn't a pretty sight, and that turned my feelings against the IRA more than any rhetoric of a lay preacher

[IC1967]

There were many reasons why peace was delayed but he is the main one. The eventual peace deal had to be done without his knowledge as the parties concerned knew he would block it if he was involved.

[Filo]

There were many reasons why peace was delayed but he is the main one. The eventual peace deal had to be done without his knowledge as the parties concerned knew he would block it if he was involved.

You're letting your Irish heretige puddle your brain, Paisley was involved, along with the former IRA chief of Staff! Thats why Paisley became First Minister

[IC1967]

He was only involved after it was a done deal. Fair play to him he eventually embraced it wholeheartedly. On balance though I have to be honest and admit on the whole my original opinion of him hasn't changed too much.