Earlier today, Michael's heartbroken uncle, Francis McIlveen, paid tribute to DUP leader Ian Paisley for his contact with the family and invited him to attend Michael's funeral. He said it was a time for healing in Ballymena. "I would like him to be there. He was the first one to ring me at the hospital. He is the MP for the area and he has the right to be there," Mr McIlveen said.
No doubt I will be flamed for this, but I hope that this will give a different perspective on Ian Paisley. He was the first politician to meet with the family, he went to the hospital and prayed with them at the boy's bedside whilst the boy was still fighting for life, he has condemned the murder in the strongest terms and called for the severest sentence possible to be applied to the perpetrators(not likely since they are teenagers themselves). If he truly were a sectarian bigot who hates Catholics he would have done none of these things, and the family would not have invited him to attend the funeral.
I read this too. I've heard over the years of multiple instances of Ian Paisley being very kind and considerate to victims of "Protestant" terrorists. I think that he should be respected for that. I don't think he's as bad a guy as some think he is. I think he's wrong on some things, but the IRA were and are thugs. If I had to pick between Ian Paisley or Gerry Adams for Prime Minister of Ireland I'd go with Ian.
Slane,
Is that the Rev. Ian Paisley you are referring to or his son?
That is true.
I think Paisley, like Thatcher, is an unsung hero of this island - many people don't seem to realise that their tough stand against both Hibernofascism and Anglofascism is actually a good thing for the people of the island of Ireland.