Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I put the following message up on Facebook this morning. It states:

Notwithstanding the fact that those claiming to speak for the IRA in 1974 put my family through hell, I am deeply saddened at the passing of Martin McGuinness. It took two men who wanted peace, McGuinness and Paisley, to find in their hearts the wherewithal to commence the journey of understanding of each other's tradition. They together put the foundations in place for peaceful co-existence of all traditions on this island. I pray that the leap of faith both men took will not be squandered. May Martin McGuinness rest in everlasting peace.

I did not intend to speak tonight but I read that message into the record for a specific reason. I was a member of the Royal Irish Rangers and in 1974 in Derry, Ranger Best was taken from his house, brought into Donegal and shot. I have had many messages from people today asking about those who are missing and where are they, and I can understand that. I raise this matter tonight because of the other contacts I have had from former members of the Royal Irish Rangers, who would be on the Unionist side, who are deeply committed Unionists, who marched in the Orange parades and who are deeply committed to unionism on all sides, expressing their sympathy to me on Martin McGuinness's death. That speaks volumes. That ties in to what has been said. Let us remember the end of his political career rather than the beginning of it. The fact that people I know to be deeply committed to unionism could find it in their hearts today to contact me and express sympathy at the passing of this man is a tremendous tribute to him.

I will finish on this point as it was agreed a few Members would contribute to these expressions. Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley, the two founding members who built the foundation for the peace process between them, are both now gone. We now have two new leaders and currently we have no Assembly in Northern Ireland. We must be careful about the risk of the development of a vacuum. I sincerely hope that on the unionist side, Ian Paisley's generosity is not forgotten and that on the Nationalist side, Martin McGuinness's generosity is not forgotten. I feel deeply sorry for the McGuinness family to have lost a man so young. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.