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| Martin McGuinness death: Northern Ireland power-sharing talks continue | Martin McGuinness death: Northern Ireland power-sharing talks continue |
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| Talks aimed at restoring power sharing in Northern Ireland continued at Stormont in the hours after it was announced that the former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness had died. | Talks aimed at restoring power sharing in Northern Ireland continued at Stormont in the hours after it was announced that the former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness had died. |
| The deadline for reaching agreement remains next Monday despite the focus shifting from the discussions to McGuinness’s death and funeral this week, the Northern Ireland Office said on Wednesday. | The deadline for reaching agreement remains next Monday despite the focus shifting from the discussions to McGuinness’s death and funeral this week, the Northern Ireland Office said on Wednesday. |
| With the clock ticking down on negotiations the parties will keep talking while preparations are being made for the funeral in Derry on Thursday. | With the clock ticking down on negotiations the parties will keep talking while preparations are being made for the funeral in Derry on Thursday. |
| Jeffrey Donaldson, the Democratic Unionist party MP for Lagan Valley, confirmed that Sinn Féin representatives were among the parties that continued the talks process hours after the news that McGuinness had died. | Jeffrey Donaldson, the Democratic Unionist party MP for Lagan Valley, confirmed that Sinn Féin representatives were among the parties that continued the talks process hours after the news that McGuinness had died. |
| “Even yesterday the talks continued with all the parties including Sinn Féin. I would expect them to go on right until the end of this week,” he said. | “Even yesterday the talks continued with all the parties including Sinn Féin. I would expect them to go on right until the end of this week,” he said. |
| The suggestion by the Irish taoiseach, Enda Kenny, that the parties might be given an extra week to continue the negotiations, Donaldson said, was a possibility as “flexibility is built into the system”. | The suggestion by the Irish taoiseach, Enda Kenny, that the parties might be given an extra week to continue the negotiations, Donaldson said, was a possibility as “flexibility is built into the system”. |
| Technically it is the last week of a three-week deadline the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, has imposed on the parties to reach a deal aimed at bringing back devolved government to Belfast. | Technically it is the last week of a three-week deadline the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, has imposed on the parties to reach a deal aimed at bringing back devolved government to Belfast. |
| It is expected that the outgoing first minister, Arlene Foster, will attend the funeral of McGuinness at St Columba’s church in Derry at 2pm on Thursday. It was a disagreement between Foster and McGuinness over her approach to a botched green energy scheme that led to the collapse of the last DUP-Sinn Féin power-sharing government in January. | It is expected that the outgoing first minister, Arlene Foster, will attend the funeral of McGuinness at St Columba’s church in Derry at 2pm on Thursday. It was a disagreement between Foster and McGuinness over her approach to a botched green energy scheme that led to the collapse of the last DUP-Sinn Féin power-sharing government in January. |
| Foster had declined to temporarily step aside as first minister for a public inquiry to be held into the Renewable Heat Initiative, which the DUP championed and that cost the taxpayer half a billion pounds. | Foster had declined to temporarily step aside as first minister for a public inquiry to be held into the Renewable Heat Initiative, which the DUP championed and that cost the taxpayer half a billion pounds. |
| After she refused, McGuinness tendered his resignation as deputy first minister and the Stormont executive collapsed, triggering an election. Under the rules of power sharing in the region, if the main representative of either of the two communities in Northern Ireland pulls out of the coalition then the government falls. | |
| A special debate will be held at noon on Wednesday in the Northern Ireland assembly to pay tribute to the former IRA chief of staff turned chief peace process negotiator for Sinn Féin. | A special debate will be held at noon on Wednesday in the Northern Ireland assembly to pay tribute to the former IRA chief of staff turned chief peace process negotiator for Sinn Féin. |
| Eileen Paisley, the widow of Ian Paisley, the late former first minister and founder of the DUP, told how she sent a text with a prayer in it to McGuinness days before his death. | Eileen Paisley, the widow of Ian Paisley, the late former first minister and founder of the DUP, told how she sent a text with a prayer in it to McGuinness days before his death. |
| She said she had had a “strange feeling” during the Derry republican’s last days and was compelled to send a message to him in his bed at Altnagelvin hospital where he later died. | She said she had had a “strange feeling” during the Derry republican’s last days and was compelled to send a message to him in his bed at Altnagelvin hospital where he later died. |
| Lady Paisley said she regularly sent McGuinness texts of encouragement and support since her husband died because of the strong personal bond the two men established when devolution was restored in 2007 and they took up the roles of first and deputy first ministers. | Lady Paisley said she regularly sent McGuinness texts of encouragement and support since her husband died because of the strong personal bond the two men established when devolution was restored in 2007 and they took up the roles of first and deputy first ministers. |
| She said: “We were in contact up until a couple of weeks ago. I had sent him a message and then he had replied but the last one I sent to him he didn’t reply to. I knew he was in intensive care so I didn’t really expect a reply, I just wanted him to get the message.” | She said: “We were in contact up until a couple of weeks ago. I had sent him a message and then he had replied but the last one I sent to him he didn’t reply to. I knew he was in intensive care so I didn’t really expect a reply, I just wanted him to get the message.” |
| On McGuinness’s death, Paisley added: “I pray for him every day as I pray for an awful lot of people. I was thinking about him particularly on Monday morning. I had a strange feeling about him. I just sent a message to say that we’re still remembering him and his wife and family in our prayers. And of course then the news came through on Tuesday.” | On McGuinness’s death, Paisley added: “I pray for him every day as I pray for an awful lot of people. I was thinking about him particularly on Monday morning. I had a strange feeling about him. I just sent a message to say that we’re still remembering him and his wife and family in our prayers. And of course then the news came through on Tuesday.” |
| On McGuinness’s legacy, she continued: “God uses different means to speak to us. He knocked the apostle Paul off his horse on the road to Damascus. He spoke to Martin Luther by sending a lightning bolt. You don’t know what God used on Martin McGuinness, but he did change.” | On McGuinness’s legacy, she continued: “God uses different means to speak to us. He knocked the apostle Paul off his horse on the road to Damascus. He spoke to Martin Luther by sending a lightning bolt. You don’t know what God used on Martin McGuinness, but he did change.” |
| Republican dissidents in Derry opposed to Sinn Féin’s peace strategy have declined to criticise McGuinness’s legacy at least during the week of mourning for him in the city. | Republican dissidents in Derry opposed to Sinn Féin’s peace strategy have declined to criticise McGuinness’s legacy at least during the week of mourning for him in the city. |
| The independent republican councillor Gary Donnelly, who has defended the right of dissident groups to continue “armed struggle”, expressed his sympathy to the McGuinness family. | |
| Donnelly said: “Politically we are poles apart. We haven’t seen eye to eye for almost 20 years. But there is no doubt that he was loved and revered almost by a large section of people in this city and beyond. Death brings with it devastation, particularly to those closest to the deceased. I would express my condolences and sympathy to his family.” | Donnelly said: “Politically we are poles apart. We haven’t seen eye to eye for almost 20 years. But there is no doubt that he was loved and revered almost by a large section of people in this city and beyond. Death brings with it devastation, particularly to those closest to the deceased. I would express my condolences and sympathy to his family.” |
| In a desolate Bogside overnight and across the city there were few people on the streets, although those that were out near the McGuinness family home expressed their support for his political strategy. | In a desolate Bogside overnight and across the city there were few people on the streets, although those that were out near the McGuinness family home expressed their support for his political strategy. |
| Michael Doherty said: “I feel that, whether you agreed with Martin’s politics or not, a towering figure in modern Irish history has passed. I believe history will look kindly on him in that whatever course he took he did it with conviction – from waging war to sharing power with Ian Paisley.” | Michael Doherty said: “I feel that, whether you agreed with Martin’s politics or not, a towering figure in modern Irish history has passed. I believe history will look kindly on him in that whatever course he took he did it with conviction – from waging war to sharing power with Ian Paisley.” |
| Bobby Best from the loyalist community in Derry objected to a number of small “celebrations” in Protestant areas including a bonfire near central Belfast and a fireworks display in the east of that city on Tuesday night. | Bobby Best from the loyalist community in Derry objected to a number of small “celebrations” in Protestant areas including a bonfire near central Belfast and a fireworks display in the east of that city on Tuesday night. |
| Best said: “He’s a loss to the peace process, whether what he achieved from the ceasefire onwards balances out what came before isn’t for me to decide. I do think it’s sad to see a large section of ‘my community’ enjoying themselves today so close to [the former UVF leader] David Ervine’s 10-year anniversary [of his death] without seeing the irony.” | Best said: “He’s a loss to the peace process, whether what he achieved from the ceasefire onwards balances out what came before isn’t for me to decide. I do think it’s sad to see a large section of ‘my community’ enjoying themselves today so close to [the former UVF leader] David Ervine’s 10-year anniversary [of his death] without seeing the irony.” |