The guns are gone, but misogyny still stalks Northern Ireland

For unionist politicians, paedophile and domestic abuser David Tweed was just ‘larger than life’ – not a danger to women, writes Susan McKay

When the Ulster Volunteer Force played its part by burning to death the Quinn children in Tweed’s home town of Ballymoney, David Tweed (pictured) denied the murders were sectarian. File photo

When David Tweed died in a crash in County Antrim at the end of October, Ian Paisley Jr, Tweed’s MP, spoke of his sadness: “David was a well-known Ulsterman.” He had been a “leading Ulster and Ireland rugby star”, a “political activist” and an “elected official”. 

He sent prayers to Tweed’s family at what he said must be “an unimaginably heartbreaking time”. Tweed was a former Democratic Unionist party councillor. Local DUP politician Mervyn Storey said he had known “Davy” and his family for most of his life and could not begin to imagine the sorrow they must have been plunged into.