Cowen praises retiring Paisley’s ‘immense vision’
The Taoiseach made his comments as the 82-year-old prepared to step down as the North’s First Minister and leader of the DUP.
Mr Cowen said that Dr Paisley “left behind a great legacy”, where a new Northern Ireland is looking to the future with hope and confidence.
“I was delighted to see this confidence translated into action when I attended the recent US-Northern Ireland Investment Conference. There is a transformed working relationship between the Northern Ireland executive, jointly led by Dr Paisley and Martin McGuinness, and the Irish Government, based on openness and cooperation and mutual benefit,” the Taoiseach said.
He added that Mr Paisley played a central role in building a new relationship between unionists and nationalists, exemplified by the warmth of the reception and the depth of respect evident at the joint opening of the battle of the Boyne site earlier this month.
For his part, the retiring First Minister said he would be leaving office confident that the North has turned its back on the bad old days forever.
Mr Paisley is expected to hand over the reins of power tomorrow. He assured business leaders in Belfast that the new generation could look forward to a peaceful and prosperous future.
On one of his last official engagements while in office, he told Northern Ireland’s Chamber of Commerce that the achievements 12 months on from devolution had been unprecedented.
“May 8 last year represented the launch of a new project,” he said. “A project that for the first time offered Northern Ireland people the prospect of real and positive change.” A year on, he said, a stable, devolved government had been created and also a society that supports the rule of law.
“We must ensure that this younger generation grow up into young adults not in fear, not in despair, not in horror but as citizens of Northern Ireland who want to have a stake in a community which has a positive and valued contribution to make. Northern Ireland has grown in confidence over the past year and turned away from its past.
“This is the one real chance we have to finish the job and rid ourselves, once and for all, of the bad old days,” Mr Paisley said.
He announced last March that he intended to hand over the role of First Minister and leader of the DUP to East Belfast MP Peter Robinson.
However, Mr Paisley intends to remain on as a MP and MLA for north Antrim.
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