Martin McGuinness: 'more than his past and a force for peace'
GUERNSEY'S External Affairs minister has paid tribute to Northern Ireland's controversial former deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, with whom he developed an unlikely friendship.
Mr McGuinness, the former IRA chief of staff and a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, has died aged 66 just two months after stepping down .
Jonathan Le Tocq, who is responsible for Guernsey's external affairs and is a former chief minister, first met Mr McGuinness through the British-Irish Council.
Deputy Le Tocq said he initially held deep-seated concerns about Mr McGuinness, which were crystallised following the Brighton hotel bombing on 12 October 1984.
'The IRA quickly claimed responsibility for the act of terrorism. Several were killed, many more wounded or traumatised,' he said. 'Amongst the latter was a fellow student whom I knew from my time in London.
'I already had negative views, but it was around that time that I formed much stronger views regarding the IRA and people like Martin McGuinness, views which would be challenged years later when firstly I saw him shaking hands with Ian Paisley and ultimately when I found myself sitting next to him at a British-Irish Council summit.'
It was during this first meeting that the two began to develop an unlikely friendship 'over an informal dinner, followed by some music'.
