McGuinness’s name carved proudly in Irish history

ANYONE who accuses Martin McGuinness of being a terrorist misses the point of the fight for Irish freedom since the Act of Union in 1800 and before.

The Irish state always had to be founded out of armed conflict, culminating in 1916 when Pearse and his followers were also branded terrorists by the comfortable establishment parties of the day. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

McGuinness and co were born out of the violent putdown of the civil rights campaign by British armed thugs. Thus began a war against British terrorism. The complete answer on the question of IRA violence is ‘all is fair in love and war’, particularly when that war was not of their creation. But for people like McGuinness, who took courageous steps at some considerable risk, there would be no Good Friday peace treaty on this island and no civil rights in the North. His place is carved solidly and proudly in Irish history whether he becomes President or not.