Big Ian has passed on

Betsy Og

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I'm hoping we dont go into Thatcher mode on this.

Overall I think he was more part of the problem than the solution but, in his favour, he did finish his days as part of the solution.

He departed just before the outcome of the Scottish referendum, I'd have thought that would be of immense interest to him, possibly the passing of 2 great Ulster-Scots connections in the space of a week.
 
It is indeed arguable that his conversion in latter years to inclusive politics compensates for his decades of demogogory and hatred. Whilst he may have been part of the solution, he played a very major role in promoting hatred and violence for decades. It is tempting (politics) to focus on his "chuckle brothers" years (few as they were) and less so on the decades when he was largely responsible for much of the "troubles" in the North.
I guess he now knows whether God is a Catholic or a Free Presbyterian!
 
However, former Alliance Party leader John Cushnahan said that while he sympathised with the family, he was astonished at the "rewriting" of Ian Paisley's political contribution.

"While I welcome the fact that he ultimately embraced power sharing, it was too little too late and should not be used to excuse the pain and suffering that he inflicted on the people of Northern Ireland for the majority of his political life," he said.

Mr Cushnahan said that his life was "punctuated with nakedly sectarian acts and deeds".

He said the 1974 power sharing executive in Northern Ireland had been brought down by "a combination of increasing IRA violence and the fascist UWC strike led by Ian Paisley and loyalist paramilitaries".

"Tragically thousands more people were to lose their lives or suffer serious injury before Sinn Féin and the DUP embraced what already been on offer in 1974. The belated conversion of both should not result in an attempt to naively rewrite history."
I couldn't agree more with everything Cushnahan says here.
 
Overall I think he was more part of the problem than the solution but, in his favour, he did finish his days as part of the solution.
Prolific arsonist turned firefighter too late and, the hate-filled bigot who was long considered to have been one of the main IRA recruitment tools, was also instrumental in causing countless unnecessary deaths and injuries, both mental and physical, to the people of the North on both sides of the divide. Undoubtedly, Northern Ireland's most divisive politician.

It is indeed arguable that his conversion in latter years to inclusive politics compensates for his decades of demogogory and hatred. Whilst he may have been part of the solution, he played a very major role in promoting hatred and violence for decades. It is tempting (politics) to focus on his "chuckle brothers" years (few as they were) and less so on the decades when he was largely responsible for much of the "troubles" in the North.
Agree 100%.

I guess he now knows whether God is a Catholic or a Free Presbyterian!
If there is a God, I hope he's Catholic and has Pope John XXIII** standing at his pearly gates with a sign pointing to the hot house! ;)

** "This Romish man of sin is now in hell!" said Ian Paisley after Pope John XXIII's death.
 
good riddance....

It is indeed arguable that his conversion in latter years to inclusive politics compensates for his decades of demogogory and hatred. Whilst he may have been part of the solution, he played a very major role in promoting hatred and violence for decades. It is tempting (politics) to focus on his "chuckle brothers" years (few as they were) and less so on the decades when he was largely responsible for much of the "troubles" in the North.
I guess he now knows whether God is a Catholic or a Free Presbyterian!

I couldn't agree more with everything Cushnahan says here.

Prolific arsonist turned firefighter too late and, the hate-filled bigot who was long considered to have been one of the main IRA recruitment tools, was also instrumental in causing countless unnecessary deaths and injuries, both mental and physical, to the people of the North on both sides of the divide. Undoubtedly, Northern Ireland's most divisive politician.

Agree 100%.

If there is a God, I hope he's Catholic and has Pope John XXIII** standing at his pearly gates with a sign pointing to the hot house! ;)

** "This Romish man of sin is now in hell!" said Ian Paisley after Pope John XXIII's death.

I agree with all of that.
His conversion was proof only that his bigotry was trumped only by his ego. His conversion to power sharing came after he realised that his constituency was leaving him and his fundamentalist bigoted hate filled ideology behind. He then ran to catch up; being in the limelight was most important of all. He was a disgusting person at almost every level. The world is a better place without him. It's a pity he didn't die years ago.
 
I was 'lucky' enough to actually hear him rabble rousing a few times in my home town - one of his favorite haunts.

On one occasion on a weekday, I was around 9 or 10 years old and in primary school at the other side of town from where we lived. Word of mouth spread quickly that Paisley was coming to town at midday to hold a rally.

As we didn't have a car, my mother, along with other parents, ran to the school to pick me up and to try to get home hopefully before the rally started otherwise we wouldn't be able to get across town safely.

Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough and the rally had already started by the time we left the school.

We kept to the back streets as much as we could and eventually had to turn down a street that led to the catholic area of the town. We didn't live in that area, but on a mixed street just before it, but had to use that street to get home.

I will never forget the sound of Paisley's booming voice, amplified by loud speakers, inciting hundreds of working-class protestants to attack the catholic minority. His final words as we turned the corner into the street that everyone knew led to the catholic area are etched in my memory and were 'And I say, that all Fenians, go to the South of Ireland, and stay there!' (The commas denote the pauses he used for dramatic effect.)

My mother called on This post will be deleted if not edited immediately, Mary and St. Joseph to help us and we ran towards home with other women and children. We were pelted with stones, bottles and anything else they could get their hands on.

That entire afternoon and into the night was filled with violence, rioting and mayhem as the protestant crowd, led by Paisley, marched to the town's catholic area and attacked the residents.

These were terrible terrible times and this so called 'man of God' was instrumental in causing a huge amount of suffering, so forgive me if I don't abide by de mortuis nihil nisi bonum.
 
delgirl, that gives a real flavour of what a vile person he was. Thank you.
 
Delgirl that is a poignant story. He was a thoroughly evil man. I agree with Purple that his acceptance of a peace deal in his final years was pure ego. Having said that the SF leadership have far more blood on their hands.
 
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