Martin McGuinness, Irish rebel turned politician, dies at 66

No sense of romantic freedom fighter about him. Always had the air of a thug and a track record to back it up.

Killing innocents is never justified.

Rest in Peace to all the innocent children, women and men civilians this ex IRA commander murdered, directly or indirectly. Gerry Adams (and also the killers on the Protestant side) have a spot reserved downstairs, with McGuinness...

Thank you Martin for highlighting the struggle against British oppression and imperialism!

Rotting in the deepest pit of hell for eternity is too lenient for what he has done.

"ex IRA commander" not likely. Scum like him do not leave criminal gangs like that.

Also the Sin Fien is the political mouth of the IRA.

Lay off the religious imagery. The sectarianism created by this played a major role in the filthy barbarism from both sides.

Allow me to quote a commenter here on JT on the death of Ian Paisley in 2014:

Thank God that Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness and the majority of people of Northern Ireland moved on in life more than the people who have so far commented in this thread. Guys, have you been in Northern Ireland? Did you grow up there during the troubles? Do you realize how peace came about? I DID grow up in Northern Ireland during the troubles. I know how bad it was and I know which players made peace possible. These were on both sides and Ian Paisley was one. The previous comments are reflective of the narrow minded attitudes of the past, something that Ian Paisley left behind.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh do h-anam, a Mháirtín.

Acts of terrorism will remain just that. But would it have been worse if it was not for the likes of Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams and their control on the Republican side? We'll probably never know. Things are better now for most. If he contributed to that then I thank him.

But would it have been worse if it was not for the likes of Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams and their control on the Republican side?

Arguably, yes.

The factors which gave birth the Provisionals in the first place - a brutal, gerrymandered apartheid state-within-a-state have been removed.

The gunmen are dying off, and Sinn Féin fast becoming the largest all-Ireland party. Within a decade or so demographics - with more than a helping hand from Brexit - will render the failed political experiment that was Northern Ireland extinct.

The biggest challenges are grown-up political representation for those who identify as British, and matching skill levels - and therefore opportunities - in the North with those in the South, which already enjoys one of the highest per-capita GDPs in Europe.

A tough couple of days for Derry folks who've also lost Derry city captain Ryan McBride on the w-e.

Tough indeed, Goldorak.

Perhaps our friends are curious as to why Derry City play in the Republic's league and not the Northern Ireland league?

One lurker seems to have, quaintly, taken exception to your omitting the antiquated L prefix from Derry.

Years ago a ticket puncher at a Belfast station, loathe to use the four-syllable variant, would announce, in perfect Spanglish: "El train for El Derry!"