Sectarianism has been rife across the whole island for decades

ONE of this week’s news spectaculars was Ian Paisley launching Dana Rosemary Scallon’s autobiography, All Kinds of Everything. Anywhere else, that would have been just another photo-op but in Northern Ireland it was an event of real significance.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Dana come came from opposite sides of the sectarian divide. Dana was an outspoken Catholic evangelical politician from Derry, while Paisley was seen as probably the most anti-Catholic of Protestant evangelical politicians.

Among the congregation were other Derry people, including — Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, former SDLP leader John Hume, Bishop Edward Daly, who is best remembered as the priest waving the handkerchief on that Bloody Sunday in 1972. Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds was also there, and Paisley greeted him affably.