Conflict over ‘Prime Time’ apology

By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Miriam O’Callaghan apologised to the wife and daughters of Martin McGuinness for her "behaviour" when she questioned him over his involvement in murder, the Sinn Féin candidate in last year’s Presidential election has told the Irish Examiner — a claim rejected by the Prime Time presenter.

Mr McGuinness, the North’s deputy first minister, said Ms O’Callaghan offered the apology at the presidential vote centre in Dublin Castle following the pair’s dramatic clash in a live TV debate.

In one of the most electrifying moments of a turbulent campaign, Ms O’Callaghan had asked: "How do you square, Martin McGuinness, with your God the fact that you were involved in the murder of so many people?"

In an interview to be published in full in Monday’s Irish Examiner, Mr McGuinness says Ms O’Callaghan apologised on count night.

"Miriam came off the stage after she had spoken to RTÉ and went to my wife and two children, two daughters, and apologised for her performance on the show [the Prime Time debate]," he said.

Pressed on whether Ms O’Callaghan apologised specifically for the murder question, he said: "Well, as far as I was concerned she apologised for her behaviour, and that, as far as I’m concerned, was the end of it. Miriam didn’t apologise to me — she apologised to my wife and two daughters," he said.

Ms O’Callaghan stressed she had "enormous respect" for Mr McGuinness, but had not apologised for asking such a question.

"I remember he asked me to come over and meet his wife and daughters in Dublin Castle, and I do remember apologising to them for any stress caused to them during the presidential campaign — as I am always very conscious that families and loved ones have to endure a lot during election campaigns, particularly very tough ones.

"I would never, however, have apologised for asking that question. That is just not something I would do.

"It’s my job to ask tough questions. I will never apologise for that. I am just doing my job.

"I think the very tense and stressful forum of a presidential debate though made it more pointed.

"Mr McGuinness has played a major role in making the peace process work," she said.

After the Prime Time debate, Mr McGuinness demanded to see Ms O’Callaghan to complain in person about the nature of the question.

Mr McGuinness, who finished third in the presidential race with 13% of the vote, remains angry about the way he feels he was treated by the Republic’s media during the campaign.

"During the course of the question she described me as a murderer — on what basis was she making that allegation?

"Because you are a member of the IRA? And there are many people who have been members of the IRA who haven’t killed anybody, so I think it wasn’t a legitimate question," he said.

Mr McGuinness also complained he had been unfairly treated in a TV3 debate by Vincent Browne.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, January 28, 2012