Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The outcome of tomorrow's election in Northern Ireland is an opportunity to deliver real, seismic change. It is the most important election not just in a generation but in the history of Northern Ireland. It is an opportunity for a new beginning. A few days ago, I attended a funeral in Northern Ireland for the late canon, Fr. Pat McHugh. He was a kind, decent pastoral priest who was full to the brim of compassion and passion. The funeral cortege made the short journey on foot from his home in Killynoogan to Pettigo in the Republic of Ireland. It reminded me in stark terms of how partition caused such havoc, especially around the Border.

Fr. McHugh was a wonderful man and a super English teacher at St. Macartan's College. On one occasion before the Good Friday Agreement, Fr. McHugh had to assert his civil rights when the RUC was around. Thankfully, those days are behind us. The irony was not lost on me that a police officer from the Police Service of Northern Ireland helped with traffic duties during the course of the funeral. The officer told me that things are better these days although there is still work to do.He is a close neighbour of the late Fr. Pat McHugh.

We have come a long way since the funeral of our first President, Douglas Hyde. All but one of the Cabinet stayed outside the church for his funeral service. In 2017, Fr. Pat McHugh, as parish priest of Castleblayney, commenced significant renovations to his church. During the course of those renovations over several months, he was welcomed with open arms into the local Church of Ireland. Pat and Reverend Neal Phair were ahead of their time. That is a glimpse of a better Northern Ireland for everyone. Part of the liturgy at the funeral were the words of Luke 10:5, which have a resonance today as we face the election, "Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace be to this house". I hope that when people return to the house at Stormont they bear that in mind and they adopt the peaceful way of mutual respect and tolerance, in fact, not just tolerance, but celebrate the enrichment of diversity. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.