- 29,944
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
Ian Paisley Snr. Dead
- Thread starter Liquid
- 3 comments
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- 1,433
- Northern Ireland
I was only 3 when the Good Firday Agreement was signed, so I grew up largely outside of the troubles and I don't have much knowledge of Paisley and his surrenderless, thorn in the side leadership which he'll probably be most remembered for. I did witness was his striking turnaround in 2006-2007, when he sat down with the very republicans he had previously refused to share a room with, and reformed our power-sharing assembly with them. The DUP had become the largest party in Northern Ireland before then, so perhaps the desire to grab power had become too alluring, who knows.
Having said that he really did seem to mellow in his later years. There is an interesting in-depth interview the BBC aired not long ago, if anyone is so inclined:
I would say his death perhaps marks the end of an era given he was the sole major opponent of our peace agreement, but given he played his role in the new assembly I guess that wouldn't quite stack up. Either way, our assembly still stands and no longer has to deal with the problem of widespread secterian violence. No, our politicians have successfully moved forward onto the problems of tit-for-tat politics, massive intolerance and potentially crippling debt................ =S
Having said that he really did seem to mellow in his later years. There is an interesting in-depth interview the BBC aired not long ago, if anyone is so inclined:
I would say his death perhaps marks the end of an era given he was the sole major opponent of our peace agreement, but given he played his role in the new assembly I guess that wouldn't quite stack up. Either way, our assembly still stands and no longer has to deal with the problem of widespread secterian violence. No, our politicians have successfully moved forward onto the problems of tit-for-tat politics, massive intolerance and potentially crippling debt................ =S
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- Ireland
- driftking18594
- CiaranGTR94
He seemed like a Machiavellian character to me - a shrewd politician who wanted to lead the Unionist movement in Northern Ireland by almost any means necessary. I don't know what to make of his involvement in the peace process - what one man may see as a transition from bigoted firebrand to peacemaker may seem like an arsonist's transition to a firefighter to extinguish the blaze he started in another's opinion. He was a contradiction - despite his notorious obsessive condemnation of "sodomy" and defence as what he saw as "traditional values", a radio piece broadcast today mentioned that, in private, he had no problem if one of his children came out as lesbian/gay.
- 29,944
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
Most obituaries do their best to portray people in a positive light. I was never a fan of Paisley's while he was alive, and while someone dying is obviously a blow for their family, that won't suddenly change now.
But you're right, it is encouraging that in the later years he opened up more to people from 'the other side'. Could you imagine telling McGuinness and Paisley back in the 60s and 70s that they would run Northern Ireland together?
But you're right, it is encouraging that in the later years he opened up more to people from 'the other side'. Could you imagine telling McGuinness and Paisley back in the 60s and 70s that they would run Northern Ireland together?
